Courtesy of the Autry Museum

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The Acjachemen are an indigenous people of California. They traditionally lived in what is now Long Beach, Orange and Northern San Diego counties. Acjachemen were referred to as Juaneño by Spanish colonizers following baptism at Mission San Juan Capistrano in the late eighteenth century. Today many contemporary members of the tribe who identify as descendants of the indigenous society living in the local San Juan and San Mateo Creek drainage areas prefer the term Acjachemen as their autonym, or name for themselves, in an effort to decolonize their history.

Their traditional language was a variety closely related to the Luiseño language of the nearby Payómkawichum (Luiseño) people. In the 20th century, the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation was organized and was since recognized by the state of California, although has not yet been federally recognized. The lack of federal recognition has prevented the Acjachemen from accessing, protecting, and restoring their ancestral lands and sacred sites.