The Kumeyaay and Their Language

John Bathke, J.D.,  (Diné) has been studying the Kumeyaay (KOOM-e-yai) and their language for many years. He is an Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies at San Diego City College. He has previously worked with Indian communities in Arizona and Southern California, particularly serving as the Coordinator of Kumeyaay Community College on the Sycuan Reservation and the Historic Preservation Officer for the Quechan Indian Tribe, addressing issues of cultural preservation, Indigenous education, and tribal sovereignty. 

He has also taught courses on American Indian Studies at the University of San Diego, San Diego State University, California State University at San Marcos, UCLA Extension, and Kumeyaay Community College. John has served in several leadership and supporting roles in the Bahá’í Faith, while seeking to promote the principles of racial unity and social justice.

The Kumeyaay Nation is a tribe of Indigenous peoples who live at the northern border of Baja California in Mexico and the southern border of California in the United States. Historically horticulturists and hunters and gatherers, the Kumeyaay have lived in the region for more than 10,000 years.