by Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians

The place of animals and plants in the Kumeyaay universe and cosmology is integrally linked to the people themselves. For the Kumeyaay there was a time when animals and humans were much more closely aligned, animals talked and possessed more human characteristics and human held more animalistic traits. Unlike most Western societies and culture, the animals and insects of the Kumeyaay world possess special powers and values well beyond their size, physical attributes, or plumage. Similarly in ancient Kumeyaay mythical times plants and trees talked, moved around, and even warred with each other. The purpose of this chapter is to transcend the common description of plants and animals as food sources. Their importance as food, as clothing, and as shelter cannot be overstated but of equal, if not more importance is the way in which the humans and the plants and animals interacted and how collectively they form the world, the cosmos. In the mythic, ancient time what we now know as humans, or more correctly as mortals, did not exist. The world was inhabited by animals and by animals who were humans but not mortals—these were the Early People and some creatures could embody traits of what came to be known as the mortal humans and animals. Only later in time, much later did the separation grow between animals and humans and at that time the humans became mortal—although their spirit or soul might be immortal.

** Animals are known to have power and knowledge that they sometimes offer to share to humans—but they must be asked.  As Junior Cuero noted, ““Animals are teachers, we must listen to them, they have a lot to share.”.”  According to an early story recorded by Dubois, Mai-Hâ-o-witt, a mysterious being, was asked by a messenger to help the people (the First People) make a ceremonial dance for their dead god, Tu-chai-pa. At this time the people did not know the dances and songs that they learned later.  He came to Wik-a-mee, a sacred mountain near Newberry Mountain, in the form of an immense Serpent and shared his songs. DuBois wrote that in 1907 his trail was said to still be seen in a white line embedded in the mountains that border the Colorado River.

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