Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

Background

Sycuan Reservation is located in southern Californian, six miles from El Cajon and within 20 miles of San Diego, off Highway 8 east. An Executive Order on December 27, 1875, set lands apart for this reservation. The secretary of the interior enlarged the Sycuan Reservation by 89.15 acres in November 2001 when it placed the Bradley and Big Oak Ranch properties into deferral trust.

Residents of the Sycuan Reservation are members of the Kumeyaay Tribe. Their language belongs to the Yuman branch of the Hokan language family. Other languages are spoken by peoples from southern Oregon to southern Mexico. The Kumeyaays are also known as Diegueños, named after the mission within their territory.

The Sycuan Reservation is governed by the seven-member elected Sycuan Business Committee. Tribal officials include a spokesperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. The tribe is organized under Articles of Association approved in 1972. The tribe is a self-governing PL-638 tribe. The departments are: administration, accounting, construction, community development, environmental, landscape and janitorial, medical administration, senior citizen programs, medical and dental clinic, human resources, gaming commission, file department, Kumeyaay Community College, learning center, daycare center, insurance and medical claims, tribal police, and the Sycuan Tribal Development Corporation.