After delays, the first inhabitants of Orange County have retained a piece of their ancestral village


A few years ago, Adelia Sandoval sat at the foot of an old oak tree and reflected on the resilience of her people, the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians.

The spiritual leader and his tribe, considered the original inhabitants of Orange County, had fought for years to preserve a small portion of the land surrounding the old oak tree. The mother tree, as she called it, was rooted in one of the earliest Native American settlements in what has become Orange County, the 65-acre open space northwest of San Juan Capistrano. With several delays from the city, tribal leaders wondered if the land would ever be preserved.

But Sandoval continued to trust his people. “Resilience is in our nature,” she said.

His faith was rewarded on Friday when hundreds showed up for the grand opening of the village of Putuidem, a humble 1.5 acre passive park that honors the history of Juaneño.

It was clear during the ceremony that the land had deep meaning for the Juaneño, whose sacred sites and lands had been plundered, desecrated and devoured by development.

The Acjachemen descendants, whose history dates back thousands of years, became known as Juaneños after Spanish colonialists built the San Juan Capistrano mission in 1776. Today the tribe numbers around 1,900 members. .

Guests walk under the canopy of the mother tree at the new Putuidem Village in San Juan Capistrano.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

While leading a prayer at the event, Sandoval thanked the tribal leaders, town officials, employees and community members who have supported the tribe’s efforts over the years.

“You gave us strength and courage through the ups and downs and the ins and outs. You have sent the sacred winds to join us today as we celebrate this opening of the village park of Putuidem, a place that honors our grandmother, Coronne and our mother village Putuidem, the village of the Acjachemen people ”, a said Sandoval, referring to Acjachemen’s first wife. chief.

“Bless all the life that’s here, Creator – every tree, every plant, and every creature. We ask you to bless all who set foot in this place, on this earth. Bless the elders and storytellers who will teach, and the young people who will come to discover beautiful people. People of peace, who have lived and prospered here. Who live and thrive here.

Sandoval and others spoke in the park’s small amphitheater, which is surrounded by boulders and log seats. The park also includes a trail and various representations of the Juaneño way of life, including ramadas, kiichas – a thatched house – and manos – a ground stone tool. The surrounding areas of the park are a habitat of native plants.

Signs along the trail tell the story of the Acjachemen descendants.

“European colonization and American colonization forever changed our cultural life in Putuidem, fracturing families and traditions,” read one of the panels. “Over the years, our numbers have been severely diminished by the impacts of new residents and different governments. And yet our people endured. We remain a viable community today.

Mayor John Taylor said the park is “a testament to what makes San Juan Capistrano special”.

Spiritual leader Juaneno Adelia Sandoval, second from left, laughs with the guests as they sing and dance.

Spiritual leader Juaneno Adelia Sandoval, second from left, laughs with the guests as they sing and dance.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Jerry Nieblas, a descendant of Juaneño, said during a speech that the earth was “like gold” to him and that the oak was always proof of the resilience of the Juaneño.

Oaks are peculiar to the Juaneño tribe because ancestors used acorns for food.

“Behind you is the great-grandmother’s oak,” Nieblas told the crowd. “She represents our people. It represents our strength and endurance. Everything around this great oak tree has died, been removed, collapsed, failed. But the great oak continues. This continues as our people continue. We endure. We continue.

The village of Putuidem was seen as a long-sought tribal victory when the city council first approved the education park in 2016. But in the following years, the city delayed the project and tribal leaders questioned whether the park would one day be completed.

Although it was supposed to be open as early as 2019, the village of Putuidem has been blocked by various financial obstacles. The first came in 2018, when the city found it lacked funds to pay for annual maintenance. Once this issue was resolved, the construction bids went over budget.

Then the city returned to the drawing board to create a scaled-down version of the park. The city worked with a committee of Juane̱o members Рthe Putuidem Committee Рto overhaul the park. Construction of the park began in late fall 2020.

Native American storyteller Jacque Nunez leads guests in a traditional song.

Native American storyteller Jacque Nunez leads guests in a traditional song.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Tribal leaders said the park would be an important tool for educating the public and a vital gathering place for tribal members, where they could perform important ancient rituals. Some members of the tribe have waited decades for dedicated land like the park.

One of these tribal chiefs, Jacque Nuñez, said during her speech that she would no longer have to tell the children to imagine the dwellings in the original village.

“Never again, because when they come here they will see it,” Nuñez said. “And I don’t need to say, ‘Imagine you are on the ground my ancestors walked on.’… When they come here, they’ll know they are walking on the land our ancestors walked on. It’s glorious, isn’t it?

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