Struggle for the San Luis Rey Village

The San Luis Rey Village emerged as a community in the face of Spanish colonization where Luiseño people converged to preserve land, culture, and an Indigenous sovereignty. Spanish missionization influenced the composition of the village, yet an Indigenous understanding of cultural and political space transcended the imposition of Catholicism. As California came under the control of the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, the San Luis Rey Village navigated and resisted settler encroachment upon their land. This presentation analyzes key moments in the tribe’s efforts to secure their village, including treaty negotiations and strategic protest, that ultimately set the stage for the tribe’s contemporary pursuit of federal recognition of its inherent sovereignty.