BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS HISTORY

We are honored that you'd like to learn more about the Barona Band of Mission Indians. We would like to tell you about our heritage, our culture and our land.

After thousands of years of peaceful life in San Diego County, the late 1700's began more than 200 years of hardship for Native Americans, that is when the Spanish soldiers and missionaries arrived and the Spanish Era began in 1769.

In 1875, the federal government established the Capitan Grande Reservation for the native people living in that area at that time. About 40 years later in 1932, the city literally bought the Capitan Grande Reservation to build a reservoir.

RANCH HISTORY
In 1932, without a homeland but with money in their pockets, members of that tribe bought the Barona Ranch which today is the Barona Indian Reservation near Lakeside, about 30 miles northeast of San Diego.

Until the early 1990s, the Barona Tribe lived on their own land but were still struggling economically in the backwoods of San Diego County. In 1994, the tribe, with the consulting guidance of Venture Catalyst, opened the Barona Casino "Big Top."

The casino has become the means to a restoration of self-sufficiency, prosperity and renewed hope. Unemployment and welfare dependency have dropped from 70 percent to zero on the Barona reservation.

BARONA MUSEUM & CULTURAL CENTER
Where Ancient Spirits Live Again

Opened in January 2000, the Barona Cultural Center & Museum is a living legend to the past, present and future of the Barona Band of Mission Indians and San Diego Native Americans. It is a wonderful cultural center and museum dedicated to education — providing a hands-on history lesson to preserve the history and culture of San Diego's Native Americans for future generations of Tribal members and also to educate the entire San Diego community.

While the cultural center and museum is open to the public, it also serves as an important Native American history resource to San Diego schoolchildren through private tours, unique education and language programs, native heritage classes, speakers and workshops.

LOCATION & CONTACT INFORMATION
Tuesday through Sunday, Noon to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays and some Holidays. Please call to check. Research and group tours by appointment.

The Barona Cultural Center & Museum is located at 1095 Barona Road in Lakeside. Contact the Barona Cultural Center & Museum at 619-443-7003 ext. 2 or visit their website at BaronaMuseum.org.

For other information about the Kumeyaay Nation Indians, visit their Website at Kumeyaay.com.