Living on Tongva, Kumeyaay & Cahuilla Land: A Southern California Reflection

Weird Sisters, gather 'round.

Before we light our candles, cast our circles, or call to the winds beneath this blazing Southern California sun, we need to pause. Take a breath. Feel your feet against the earth, your skin warmed by a sun that has shone on this land for thousands of years.

And ask yourself—Whose land am I standing on? And how am I showing up with respect?

This isn’t just a spiritual check-in. It’s a responsibility check.

This post is part of our ongoing series exploring how we, as witches, healers, mystics, and moon-chasers, can live in right relationship with the land—not just on it, but with it. Because the truth is: much of the land we live on in the United States was stolen. It was never ceded. And while we can't change the past, we can change how we live in the present.

🌾 So… Who Was Here First?

Southern California is the ancestral homeland of the Tongva, Kumeyaay, and Cahuilla peoples—among others whose names have been deliberately erased or forgotten by colonizer history books. But not by the land. And not by us.

✦ The Tongva (also known as the Gabrielino)

They have cared for the lands that are now Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Channel Islands since time immemorial. They were master canoe builders, stewards of river systems, and spiritual protectors of coastal energy.

✦ The Kumeyaay

Still present today across San Diego County and northern Baja California, the Kumeyaay people have practiced traditional land tending, fire medicine, seed saving, and story-carrying that stretches back 12,000 years.

✦ The Cahuilla

Living in the desert valleys and canyons of Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, and the Coachella region, the Cahuilla people’s sacred geography is one of sand, stone, and spirit. Their traditions are deeply tied to dream songs, basketry, and kinship with desert medicine plants.

These peoples are not gone. They’re not mythical. They are alive, organizing, creating, protecting, and remembering. And as spiritual folk living on this land—witches, pagans, empaths, mystics, and dreamwalkers—we are called to remember too.

🌿 What Was (and Is) Sacred Here?

Let’s talk about white sage for a moment.

If you’ve ever reached for a bundle to “cleanse your space,” it’s time to check in. White sage is not just a trendy scent or Instagram aesthetic—it is a sacred plant in Kumeyaay and Cahuilla traditions, used in closed ceremonial practices. Overharvesting for mass production has endangered this powerful plant and disrespected the people who know it as kin.

And it’s not just sage.

This land is alive with sacredness:

• Coastal waters that sing ancient songs

• Desert blooms that bloom with ancestral wisdom

• Stone circles that once gathered prayers

• Canyons and mountains with spirits etched into their bones
  

These places aren’t just scenic. They’re alive. They’re family. They remember what happened here.

🕯 How Do We Live With This Land, Not Just On It?

This isn’t about guilt. It’s about showing up with love and integrity. Here are some grounded, practical ways to be a respectful guest and an active ally:

🌱 1. Rethink Your Smoke Cleansing

Ditch the white sage bundles unless they’re sourced directly from Native sellers with clear permission and reciprocity. Instead, use:

• Rosemary

• Mugwort

• Garden sage

• Lavender(Bonus: they all grow beautifully in containers and smell like divine clarity.)
  

🌄 2. Re-map Your Directions

Instead of importing elements or cardinal meanings, take a moment to consider how the directions relate to this specific land. In Kumeyaay tradition, directions are deeply woven into language and landscape. Where does the sun rise over your own sky? What wind brings the rains? Start there.

🌵 3. Don’t Wildcraft Without Wisdom

Creosote, datura, and ocotillo aren’t props. They are powerful plant beings—some of which are protected or sacred. Unless you have a longstanding relationship and permission, leave them be. You wouldn’t grab someone’s ancestral rosary off their altar, right?

🗣 4. Speak Their Names

Words are spells. So speak these names aloud:

“I live on unceded Tongva land.”“This ritual takes place on Cahuilla territory.”“I honor the Kumeyaay ancestors of these hills.”

It’s a start—and a powerful one.

🔥 Real Ways to Support Land Back

If you want to go beyond intention and into action (which we always do), here are real-world steps:

✨ Support the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa ConservancyA land return project that is doing incredible, community-centered work.🌐 tongvapeople.org

✨ Follow the Kumeyaay Community College and Kumeyaay Land Conservancy🌐 kumeyaaycommunitycollege.com

✨ Donate a monthly “land tax” Support directly, or build it into your pricing structure if you sell spiritual goods.

✨ Stay informed about local sacred site protections From the Bolsa Chica wetlands to construction projects on burial grounds—your awareness, your voice, and your vote matter.

✨ Closing Spell & Reflection

This land remembers what was.This land still sings their names.Let me tread with care,Let me offer more than I take,Let me become a good ancestor.

Let’s be real: being a witch isn’t just about moon baths and tarot spreads. It’s about connection, reverence, and responsibility. If we claim to walk between the worlds, we must also walk gently through the one we’re standing on.

This isn’t about shame—it’s about remembering. It’s about rooting our practice in respect, reciprocity, and truth. Because magic without ethics is just performance. And sister, you were made for something deeper than that.

So next time you open your circle, pour a cup of tea, or whisper a prayer—start with the land. Speak to it. Listen back.The spirits are still here. And they’ve been waiting for us to catch up.