It has been 225 years since California was admitted to the Union and even longer since Indigenous people were the dominant inhabitants in La Jolla. The Kumeyaay who lived in La Jolla, San Diego, and Baja California, where forced off their land and sanctioned to reservations, mostly in the eastern part of the county. Now, in 2075, the Triton investigated where are the Kumeyaay now?
RESERVATIONS
After nearly 200 years, the Kumeyaay reservations are still intact and thriving. Given the push for Indigenous representation in San Diego communities in the 50s, Kumeyaay knowledge and influence has grown immensely. The reservation accounts for nearly a million residents with many more throughout the San Diego region.
POLITICS
Since the 30s, San Diego has welcomed over 40 Kumeyaay politicians and representatives and 6 Kumeyaay mayors. Representing the 49th and 52nd districts, there have been 3 Kumeyaay representatives in congress. While unique in their own way, all of the Kumeyaay politicians so far have advocated for sustainable practices and cultural diversity in San Diego. Mayor Kristie Dumas established San Diego as one of the few cities in America with open refugee status, leading the nation in protecting those seeking safety in America.
ACADEMIA
Among the researchers at CalTech researching theoretical FTL (faster than light) travel is Dr. Mike Hatam. Dr. Hatam was instrumental in the space mission to Mars which utilized FTL to transmit data instantaneously via audio waves. Another influential scientist is Nobel Prize Winner (2068) Dr. Elena Gambala. Dr. Gambala is a chemist who studies bacterial cells and their relationship with plastics. Based on her research, Dr. Gambala may have have a potential solution to the mounds of plastic building up in the atmosphere due to the many space missions.
