Those Who Came First

Sam Brown, an elder in the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, spoke at the County Operations Center on April 2.

San Diego County has more Indian reservations than any other county in the U.S. In an effort to get to know our neighbors and to further promote diversity and inclusion, the Department of Human Resources recently hosted a presentation from a member of the Kumeyaay for employees. 

Sam Brown, an elder in the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, shared stories of culture and community in a lunchtime gathering at the County Operations Center. He also took questions at the session titled “Those Who Came First: The Kumeyaay Nation.”

“The most important tradition, as far as I am concerned, is understanding the culture and history and applying it to the things that are happening today,” said Brown.

If you missed the session, you can still take a short lesson with Brown. He has a series of videos available online. Learn to pronounce Kumeyaay, how to say hello and listen to tribal stories.

Learning more about our neighbors goes a long way in serving the community and being truly inclusive. The following additional D&I training sessions are available to employees on the Learning Management System (LMS):

·       Cultural Competency Overview

·       Diversity and Inclusion for Supervisors

·       Embracing Diversity and Inclusion

·       Generations in the Workplace

·       Promoting an Inclusive Workplace

·       Serving Diverse Customers

To learn more about the County’s D&I initiatives, visit the initiative webpage.