Ready for a history quiz?  How many Indian reservations are there in San Diego County? When were the first reservations established and where?
What was the Native American population when Spaniards first arrived in the county and what is it today? What does it mean that tribes are sovereign nations under federal and constitutional law?  
Indian reservations began in the earliest years of United States history.  Through a series of wars, treaties and purchases, Indian lands were slowly reduced to parcels of lands set aside for their exclusive use by the federal government. California was late in achieving statehood when compared with the Eastern and Midwestern states, and our Indian reservations were not set up until after the 1850s.  In San Diego County, the guarantee of land for local tribes was even later, resulting in the loss of millions of acres of traditional Indian lands.  
Between the Mexican American War of 1846-48 and the 1870s, muc...

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Editor’s note:  This is the second in a series of articles about the prehistoric people who occupied the Ramona Valley for thousands of years. The author, Richard L. Carrico, is a Ramona resident and a well-known archaeologist/historian. For more information on local tribal prehistory and history, see Carrico’s  book “Strangers in a Stolen Land,” published by Sunbelt Publications.

After thousands of years of prehistoric tribal life, it is hard to imagine the impact that Spanish colonialization had on our local tribes. Exactly when the Ipai and Tipai Indians of Ramona Valley first saw a Spanish soldier or missionary is uncertain. It is clear that the hundreds of villagers had heard of bearded men in the eastern deserts from their relatives and trading partners near the Colorado River well before they were contacted by the explorers.  
Historians believe that some of the devastating diseases brought to California by the Spaniards began to affect...

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Editor’s note:  This is the first in a series of articles about the prehistoric people who occupied the Ramona Valley for thousands of years.  The author, Richard L. Carrico, is a Ramona resident and a well-known archaeologist/historian.

The story of the prehistoric people of the Ramona Valley is a long and complex tale.
In general, the prehistoric periods of San Diego County are divided into three phases. The San Dieguito were nomadic hunters of medium and large game who lived in the area between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago. They manufactured elaborate stone spear points and knives and occupied the deep inland valleys.
The next cultural group is called the La Jollan and they take their name from the numerous camp sites on the bluffs near La Jolla. These people were focused on fish and shellfish from the Pacific Ocean and on the nuts, seeds, and berries from inland valleys. Their ability to manage the environment served them well from 8,000 years ...

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