- By the early 1700s, colonial systems were firmly in place across North America.

In the East, British colonies continued to expand, while in the West, Spain built more missions, bringing a colonial system that would reshape traditional territories.

Land would be taken, resources extracted, and Indigenous communities displaced.

(somber music) As the colonies moved towards independence in 1775, reshaping power in the East, life in the West followed a different path.

Spain expanded the mission system in California, tightening control over Indigenous nations.

Missions were built about 30 miles apart, a one-day journey, forming a network to control land, and secure Spain's claim to the West, and block British and Russian expansion to the region.

The first mission and Presidio were built in what is now Presidio Park near Old Town.

- So we're on the site of the first mission, and I wanna stress out in California, 'cause it'd already been 18 or so in Baja, California.

- Right.

- Right.

And so Father Serra established it here, raised the cross, the soldiers claimed this for Spain, and so -- - Oh, they saw us differently as barely surviving, and that they were going to save our souls, and teach us a better way of life, which now all these 100 years later, we know is not a better way of life.

- [Elsa] The Spanish mission system destroyed essential life, including trade routes and food systems the Kumeyaay and neighboring clans relied on, as cattle trampled and consumed Native resources.

Indigenous lifeways were systemically dismantled, across the region, land, leadership, and daily life were dramatically changed, as territories were divided and renamed, and traditional systems destroyed and replaced.

- Our people were forced into labor to where their spines were compacted.

Their bone structures were deformed, because of carrying brick, adobe, different things, and having young lives, honestly, dying from disease.

- [Elsa] From the West Coast to the East Coast, and beyond, the pattern remained the same, disruption, resistance and survival, as Indigenous nations work to protect and carry forward their identity, while facing the spread of disease, the loss of traditions, and the breakdown of established ways of life.

- And the elders of our community who are the ones who are our knowledge-bearers, they're the ones who guided our community, they're the holders of our philosophy, and of our ceremonies, when they passed on, we've seen a lot of our traditions pass, as well.

- [Elsa] In California, as power shifted from Spain to Mexico and later to the United States, encroachment across Indigenous territories continued, and conditions worsened.

Despite this, Indigenous nations endured, resilient and adaptable, continuing to carry forward their identity and story.

- We started talking about the language, not only as the language, but the areas of the different places, that how I explained to them culturally was that Kumeyaays, Baja, extending all the way to the position, you know, all within the area.

- [Elsa] For the first peoples of Southern California, this is not just the past, it is lived.

They are still here, thriving, and preserving their story for the future.

(Kumeyaay chanting) Ral Christman from the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians joins us to talk about this part of history.

Ral, thank you for being here.

- Haawka, it's good to be here.

- And a lot of people look at the missions, and they see that it's this beautiful story, but for the Kumeyaay, for Indigenous everywhere, it was a completely different story that a lot of people today don't know.

- And it's a very beautiful tourist destination.

However, every one of those missions, including San Diego, if you look somewhere in the back, you'll find a grassy area and a little plaque, or something, saying that "Here lies X amount of Native peoples that were unceremoniously buried there."

Our people were kicked into a pit.

In that pit, you'll find remains of Kumeyaay children that had shackles on, and the traces of that left on their bones.

- So there's evidence of all of this happening, and you were able to discover this evidence?

- This was discovered in the mid-80s, and our people have been fighting since to uncover that truth, and let it be broadcast that people know that, yeah, it was not always a beautiful thing.

I know when I was in school, there was a time period, where we were told the mission was a good thing, and I know as a youth in California, we're often told that the Natives enjoyed the mission, it was a good thing that happened to us, and we were happy to be there.

Unfortunately, that's not a truth, that's not a truthful thing.

- The Kumeyaay have warriors.

We don't hear about them as often.

Were the warriors the one that resisted the most, and were they part of the burning down mission, San Diego, the Alcala?

- At that time, warriors from those villages, they went down, and they burned down the mission, and they pulled out the leadership, and they killed them.

And that wasn't done at a -- They didn't do that just to go do that, they did that as a response.

They did that as a response to the stealing of our children, and the rape of our women, and all the atrocities that have been committed towards our people.

So as war, and attack, and killing is a last means for our people, it is definitely something that we have traditionally have had to do.

- And what do you think is important for people to take away from the Kumeyaay territory, the Kumeyaay history and heritage?

For those who don't know it as well, what do you want people to take away from it?

- We have thrived, and we are able to do that by taking care of the land, having a common respect for one another, taking care of each other, and I think a lot can be learned from that.

In these modern times, we see ourselves polluting the earth, going to war with one another, but our people have been here for thousands of years, and we're still here, and we're gonna still remain.