Larry Banegas bought the Web address (www.kumeyaay.com) more than three years ago. Then he waited.
The question facing him was what should go on the site that takes its name from San Diego County’s Kumeyaay Indians.
The answer emerged in May, and it did not disappoint.
The Web portal is a mix of history, culture and news, presented from an Indian point of view. It’s wrapped in a graphic package that combines archival images with a laser-edged design sensibility.
The portal contains histories of more than a dozen Kumeyaay tribes in San Diego County and several in Baja California. Internet links can send a user to individual tribal Web sites.
This comes on top of a general history of the tribes from pre-European times to the present, and a scholarly look at the local language.
Those who want to dig deeper into those subjects will find a reading list.
News coverage brings items from the national wire services, Sacramento and the county’s outlying areas. The site also hosts message boards, a business directory, a community events calendar, an e-mail postcard section and more.
Banegas, a former Barona tribal councilman, estimates he spends 20-30 hours weekly on the site, adding that a “core group” of associates makes contributions.
He teaches Kumeyaay culture and tradition in the community, and says a key reason for the Web site is education.
He adds the site might a good way to supplement school materials that is long on Cherokee and Sioux history, but short on local content.
Kumeyaay.com is a nonprofit organization that has received substantial help from both tribal and for-profit sources.
A three-year grant from Hewlett-Packard Co. helped buy the Web server, computer and peripherals that make the site possible, Banegas said.
The Barona Tribal Council has pledged $75,000 toward Kumeyaay.com. Banegas hopes to generate more interest among gaming tribes to support the site, but says that so far, that sort of sponsorship has been “limited.”
He plans a golf tournament in the fall to help offset the expense of running (www.kumeyaay.com) Tournament information will appear on the site soon, Banegas says.
