Amended in Senate August 6, 2014

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 87

Introduced by Senator Anderson

February 21, 2014

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 87—Relative to the Luiseño Highway.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 87, as amended, Anderson. The Luiseño Highway.

This measure would designate the portion of State Highway Route 76 southeast of Lake Henshaw as the Luiseño Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering the cost, to erect those signs.

Fiscal committee: yes.

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WHEREAS, Archeological records show that ancestors of the
Luiseño Indians were among the original inhabitants of San Diego
County living along the Pacific coast and inland in north San Diego
County for 10,000 years; and

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WHEREAS, The Luiseño called themselves Payómkawichum,
also spelled Payómkowishum, meaning “People of the West;” and

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WHEREAS, In what is now San Diego County, the territory of
the Payómkawichum ran west to east across a wide swath of the
northern portions of the county. Clans built villages and traveled
from the Pacific Ocean, near the present-day Cities of Oceanside,
Carlsbad, and La Jolla, to the east, where the Cities of San Marcos,
Vista, and Fallbrook, and the communities of Rainbow, Bonsall,
Valley Center, and Pauma Valley now exist, to Palomar Mountain
and the Buena Vista Mountains of the Peninsular Range; and

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WHEREAS, The Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, named after
King Luis of Spain, was founded on June 13, 1798, by Father
Fermin Francisco de Lasuèn, on the San Luis Rey River in the
current City of Oceanside; and

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WHEREAS, The Payómkawichum became known as the
Luiseño Indians due to the location of their villages, which came
under Spanish occupation within the jurisdiction of the Mission
San Luis Rey de Francia; and

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WHEREAS, At the time of contact with the Spanish, more than
43 Luiseño villages were concentrated along the 55-mile stretch
of the San Luis Rey River, from its mouth at Mount Palomar and
the Hot Springs Mountains to where the river discharges into the
Pacific Ocean; and

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WHEREAS, The Luiseño Indians built trails along the San Luis
Rey River, connecting their villages to visit relatives, exchange
goods and food, share ceremonies, and perform rituals; and

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WHEREAS, As the most direct route from the mountains to the
coast, the Luiseño trails along the river also served as seasonal
migratory routes for the native people, and accommodated Spanish
missionary and militia travel among mission outposts, farmlands,
and tribal villages; and

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WHEREAS, Construction on the road following the San Luis
Rey River and the Luiseño trails begin insert , in the County of San Diego, end insert
began in 1930, although the paving initially ended at the Pala
Indian Reservation; and

WHEREAS, The original road was named legislative Route 195
in 1935. Then in 1965, the state highways were renumbered and
legislative Route 195 was legally designated as State Highway
Route 76, extending from United States Route 101 to State
Highway Route 79; and

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WHEREAS, Today, there are four Luiseño Indian reservations
located on, or connected to, State Highway Route 76. They are the
La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, the Pala Band of Mission
Indians, the Pauma Band of Mission Indians, and the Rincon Band
of Luiseño Indians; and

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WHEREAS, The original trails constructed by the Luiseño
Indians, begin delete living and traveling end delete begin insert who lived and traveled end insert along the San
Luis Rey River, also served as the corridor of travel for the Spanish
explorers, missionaries, begin delete and end delete militia, Mexican Nationals, American
military forces, and European immigrants; and

WHEREAS, These trails predated the modern road ultimately
designated by the State of California as State Highway Route 76;
now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That, the Legislature hereby designates the
portion of State Highway Route 76 running west to east from
Interstate Highway 15 to State Highway Route 79, southeast of
Lake Henshaw, as the Luiseño Highway; and be it further

Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested
to determine the cost of appropriate signs consistent with the
signing requirements for the state highway system showing this
special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate
sources sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.