Kiliwa

Kiliwa

KÓLEW (Kiliwa) are located in the north part of the territory of Baja California The kiliwa call themselves kólew, "man hunter". The language is also known by the names of quinicua, quiniwa, kolew, kj' wash, koj wash or kó jwaksh. Main settlements are located in the municipality of Ensenada. In the census of 2000, 52 speakers of this language were reported.

Orígenes (mito kiliwa) Los Kólew fueron procreados por Meltípájal (u), (coyote-gente-luna), quien tenía voz de meltí, coyote, y estaba solo. Para no enfermarse de tristeza creó al hombre y sus linajes. Meltípájal (u) se acercó al "ombligo sureó", tomó agua e hizo buches que arrojados hacia los puntos cardinales formaron el sur (kosei) amarillo; el norte (kiwiniel) rojo; el este (mesép) blanco y el oeste (nié) negro. Para crear las latitudes pensó en el ombligo de arriba y creó el mils (azul) y luego el ombligo de abajo reconociéndolo como amate o café. Satisfecho de su obra Meltípájal (u) fumó mientras descansaba y con el humo se fueron formando las veredas y los caminos de la tierra y del cielo.

Computer generated translation to English

Origins (myth kiliwa) The Kó lew were procreados by Meltípá jal (or), (coyote-gente-luna), who had voice of meltí, coyote, and was alone. To do not make ill of sadness created al man and its lineages. Meltípá jal (or) approached al "southern navel", took water and did buches that thrown toward the cardinal points they formed the south (kosei) yellow; the north (kiwiniel) red; the east (mes·' p) white and the west (nie') black. To create the latitude thought about the upper navel and created the mils™ (blue) and then the navel of down recognize as you recognizing it you or coffee. Satisfied of its work Meltípá jal (or) smoked while rested and with the smoke went himself forming the paths and the roads of the land and of the sky.

Mauricio J. Mixco
University of Utah

Kiliwa, sole member of one of the four branches of Yuman (within Cochiméi-Yuman), has under 8 fluent speakers, among some 35 members of its comunidad indígena. (census of 2000 is more accurate - reports 52 speakers) Poverty and the strictures of the kinship system have reduced the Kiliwa, from some 2,000 in the 1790s to their present numbers. They occupy a fragment of their aboriginal territory in the municipalidad de Ensenada, Baja California Norte, Mexico.

Baja Kumeyaay Tribes:
JUNTAS DE NEJI / SAN JOSE DE LA ZORRA /
SAN ANTONIO NECUA / CA‹ON DE LOS ENCINOS /
LA HUERTA / SANTA CATARINA /
SAN ISIDORO / EJIDO TRIBU KILIWAS /
EL MAYOR CUCAPA



Ethnologue report for Kiliwa

Hablemos Kiliwa


Kiliwa Place Names

Of Gaps and Bridges



Presencia de los Pueblos
Indígenas del Noroeste

Indigenous
                Peoples' Literature Return to Indigenous Peoples' Literature

Compiled by: Glenn Welker





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