Description
The Luiseno or Payomkawichum are an Indigenous people of California who, at the time of the first contacts with the Spanish in the 16th century, inhabited the coastal area of southern California, ranging 50 miles (80 km) from the present-day southern part of Los Angeles County to the northern part of San Diego County, and inland 30 miles. In the Luiseño language, the people call themselves Payomkawichum (also spelled Payomkowishum), meaning "People of the West." The Luiseño people are also known by the name of the Juaneño people. Experts estimate that there are about 9,000 people alive today who are the descendants of the Luiseño tribe.
Language
The Luiseño language is a Uto-Aztecan language of California
Culture
They were successful in utilizing a number of natural resources to provide food and clothing. They had a close relationship with their natural environment. They used many of the native plants, harvesting many kinds of seeds, berries, nuts, fruits, and vegetables for a varied and nutritious diet. The land also was inhabited by many different species of animals which the men hunted for game and skins. Hunters took antelopes, bobcats, deer, elk, foxes, mice, mountain lions, rabbits, wood rats, river otters, ground squirrels, and a wide variety of insects.