This website is designed to implement a digital history project that will identify and map the loss of tribal territory from the Barona and Viejas bands of the Kumeyaay people in the 20th century. By mapping the loss of territory through the El Capitan act of Congress in 1919 the project will show how the Kumeyaay were forced farther and farther away from economically viable land. To compare the economic viability of Kumeyaay territory at the start of the 20th century versus the land they were forced onto 30 years later, I will use census data to show a nearly 50% decrease in Kumeyaay residence in reservation areas. At the start of the 20th century, the Kumeyaay were an agricultural community that relied on access to freshwater for irrigation and open land to farm. With the subsequent loss of arable land and access to irrigation, the Kumeyaay were unable to provide for themselves and many were forced to leave reservation areas.

Below is a short timeline depicting key events in Kumeyaay history from the moment of European contact until the end of the 19th century. The timeline is intended to give a brief historical overview and context for the following sections.