Cahuilla

/kəˈwiːjə/ noun

Definition

A Native American people of southern California, or their language, known for sophisticated desert irrigation and basketry.

Etymology

From Spanish adaptation of the Cahuilla people's own name. The Cahuilla have inhabited the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains and surrounding desert regions for over 10,000 years. The name meaning in their language relates to 'the people.'

Kelly Says

The Cahuilla developed incredibly sophisticated knowledge of desert plants and created an intricate calendar based on flowering cycles and animal behavior—they essentially 'read' nature like a book to know when to gather hundreds of different food sources.

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