Highlighting the Luiseño (Payómkawichum) people, we will continue our guide to American Indians.

The Payómkawichum people are indigenous to the coastal area of Southern California, ranging about fifty miles from what is now the southern part of Los Angeles County to the northern portion of San Diego County, and about thirty miles inland.

In their traditional language the Luiseño refer to themselves as Payómkawichum (also spelled Payómkowishum), which translates as "People of the West." After the establishment of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Spanish missionaries began calling them San Luiseños, which was later shortened to Luiseños due to their proximity to this mission.

Today, there are six federally recognized Luiseño bands in Southern California, all with reservations; another organized band is not recognized. Federally recognized bands include the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, the Pala Band of Mission Indians, the Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians, the Pechanga Band of Indians, the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, and the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, while the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians is recognized only by the City of Oceanside.

The traditional Luiseño language is spoken by thirty to forty people, and individual Luiseño people are studying the language in some of the independent bands, and language preservation materials are being compiled.

Like many other American Indian groups, Payómkawichum populations declined considerably after Europeans and European-Americans entered the picture. Their population was estimated to be from 5,000 to 10,100 in the late 18th century, but, by the early 20th century, it had declined to about 500.

The first Spanish missions were established in California in the late 1760s, after which the Payómkawichum were faced with near-constant caravans moving north and south through their land on El Camino Real. Spanish missionaries established Mission San Luis Rey de Francia entirely on Payómkawichum lands in 1798, and this became the first Spanish First Military District. Established to evangelize indigenous people, the Spanish named the people after their mission, naming them Luiseño.

With the Mexican victory in the Mexican War of Independence in 1821, the Mexican Empire claimed ownership of Luiseño lands and confiscated all of the coastal lands from the Luiseño, granting much of it to Mexican settlers. These settlers eventually became known as Californios.

The Luiseño opted not to participate in the Mexican-American War, although they wound up being brought into it. During the Battle of San Pasqual, some Californio lancers from the battle stole horses from the Pauma Band of the Luiseño. Apprehending the thieves, they were going to let them off with a warning, but an American persuaded the Luiseño to execute them, an action that became known as the Pauma Massacre.

When the Mexican General José María Flores heard of this, he dispatched a retaliatory force under the command of José del Carmen Lugo to execute the chiefs responsible. Along the way, Lugo met with a group of Cahuilla led by Chief Juan Antonio, who decided to join forces to attack their rivals, the Luiseño. The resulting battle took place in Temecula, leading to the death of more than a hundred Luiseño. Captured Luiseño were handed over to the Cahuilla, who executed them.

With an American victory in the Mexican-American War, Luiseño leaders entered negotiations to sign the Treaty of Temecula and the Treaty of San Luis Rey to protect their lands, but the treaties were not ratified. Instead, the new State of California allowed white Americans to impose indentured servitude on indigenous Californians under the Act for the Governance and Protection of Indians.

President Ulysses S. Grant allowed reservations to be established in California in 1875, but, that same year, the state evicted the Luiseño in the Temecula Valley, redistributing the land to white ranchers. After the Temecula evictions were revealed, another round of reservations was permitted under President Chester Arthur.

When boarding school programs were established to force the assimilation of indigenous people whose children were enrolled into the Sherman Indian School in Riverside, the Pauma, Pala, and Rincon bands sued for the right to enroll their children at local schools.

In the 1890s, the discovery of gems on the Pala Reservation brought a level of prosperity to the Pala Band, lasting into the 1910s.

After its legalization in the 1980s, the Luiseño were allowed to pursue gambling operations on their reservations. This led to several casinos being established in the 2000s.

Online resources representing Luiseño governments, businesses, enterprises, schools, medical facilities, events, or other interests, including those owned and operated by Luiseño individuals, are appropriate for this category.

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