For thousands of years, there has been a profound connection between nature and people, including in our local Inland Empire (IE) region with the Native American communities that cared for this land. The IE is home to 13 federally recognized tribes, including the Yuhaaviatam, Cahuilla, Payomkawichum, Tongva, and Chemehuevi. Prior to European contact and U.S. government interventions, there may have been as many as 300 tribes in Southern California.

Eurocentric interference and disruption has left a lasting impact on these diverse and unique families and communities. Within our predominantly Eurocentric educational system, we hope to provide a starting point to elevate the local Native American communities and their knowledge.

Below, we offer a small sample of cultural knowledge intersecting with our local flora and fauna. However, we caution against misapplying this shared information. We live in extremely fragile ecosystems, and knowledge requires both responsibility and caution.