Long before it became home to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, it was, and is, the homeland of the Kumeyaay people. In a moving presentation as part of the Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Kumeyaay leaders Stan Rodriguez, Priscilla Ortiz Sawah, and Andrew James Pittman shared how their communities are reclaiming and revitalizing Indigenous ocean knowledge.

For thousands of years, the Kumeyaay have held a deep connection to the Pacific Ocean. Colonization and forced displacement disrupted traditional practices, but today, those practices are being restored. From building ha kwaiyo (tule boats) to harvesting ha shupill (grunion) and teaching ha silowik (ocean language), these community-led efforts reflect not only survival but resilience and cultural pride.

The speakers emphasized that this is more than just remembering the past—it’s about actively practicing and preserving it. By bringing together elders and youth, these cultural traditions foster intergenerational learning and maintain a vibrant connection to the ocean. Indigenous ocean knowledge, once overlooked, is now being shared more widely and celebrated as a source of depth, resilience, and renewal.

Watch Kumeyaay Ha Kwaiyo – Indigenous Ocean Culture: A Renaissance.