History of the Luiseño People Lecture at Mission San Luis Rey

Mission San Luis Rey de Franzia is pleased to have Mel Vernon, Captain of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians, present the first lecture – and event – of Mission San Luis Rey’s  225th Anniversary year! Mel and his family can trace their ancestry to the people who built Mission San Luis Rey, and some of them are buried in the Mission’s Historic Cemetery. As captain, Mel has been working on the preservation of his people’s culture and traditions and educating the community about his tribe’s consistent presence in the area of North County San Diego. In this lecture, he gives a general perspective of the Luiseño people, and what their life was like before the Missions were established.