Putuidem facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Putuidem
Village
Putuidem Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Orange
City	San Juan Capistrano
Time zone	UTC-8
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7
ZIP	92675
Area code(s)	949

Putuidem was a large native village in California. Its name comes from the Acjachemen language, meaning "belly" or "the navel." The Acjachemen people are also known as Juaneño because of their connection to Mission San Juan Capistrano. Putuidem was a "mother village," meaning it was a main community that helped start other villages for the tribe.

The village site is in what is now San Juan Capistrano, California. It is located near Interstate 5, about a mile north of the mission. Today, the area is mostly covered by the sports fields and performing arts center of Junípero Serra Catholic High School. Construction for the school began in 2003, even after protests and lawsuits tried to save the historic site.

In 2021, a new place called Putuidem Village Park opened in the city. This park helps remember and honor the original village.

History of Putuidem Village

The Indigenous Village

The village of Putuidem was built near a natural spring. It was founded by a leader named Chief Oyaison and his daughter, Coronne. They left their old village, Sejat, because of a very bad drought.

A story from the village tells how Coronne led her people to a spring. This spring was where Oso Creek and Trabuco Creek met. Coronne sadly died suddenly, and her body became a mound of earth. The people were very sad and returned to Putuidem. They slept in a special pyramid shape called acjachema, which is how the Acjachemen people got their name. Coronne had a small bump near her navel, and this is how the village got its name, Putuidem.

Another historical record says that a relative named Choqual later ruled Putuidem. Choqual also ruled Atoum-pumcaxque, a nearby village. Putuidem was located upstream from the coastal village of Toovunga. It was also downstream from other villages like Alume, Sajavit, Piwiva, and Huumai.

The Mission Period

In 1776, Mission San Juan Capistrano was built very close to Putuidem and another village called Ahachmai. This had a big impact on Putuidem. Many people from the village were moved to serve the mission. As more Europeans arrived, the village's population quickly became very small.

At the same time, the mission grew larger. By 1783, there were 383 new converts, and many of them likely came from Putuidem. By 1790, there were 741 converts. These new converts, called neophytes, did most of the work at the mission. They took care of animals and grew crops.

A large stone church at the mission was finished in 1806. It took nine years to build, and the neophytes did all the work. By 1810, there were 1,138 neophytes. The number peaked at 1,361 in 1812, then started to go down. The stone church was destroyed in the 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake. This earthquake tragically killed almost 50 native people who were attending church.

After the mission was closed down by the government in 1833, records showed that 4,317 native people had been baptized there. This included 1,689 adults and 2,628 children. The records also show that 3,158 people died at the mission. Many of the people who survived this period later settled in the areas around the mission.

American Settlement and Discoveries

In 1933, people noted that the Putuidem spring, also called El Aguagito by the Spanish, could be found near where an old Sycamore tree stood. The land was owned by Aaron Buchheim at that time. His family later sold the land to Junipero Serra High School. About five hundred descendants of the original villagers still lived in the San Juan Capistrano area.

Archaeologists found evidence of special burials and cremations at the village site. They also found sacred items, including bones from golden eagles and condors. These findings are very important to the Acjachemen people and are linked to their spiritual beliefs. Experts believe about two hundred burials happened around Putuidem. Some sites near the sacred spring were thousands of years old.

The High School Construction Conflict

In 1998, two businessmen, Marc Spizziri and Timothy Busch, wanted to build a new Catholic school in south Orange County, California. They chose a piece of land on Junipero Serra Road. They knew part of this land was sacred to the Acjachemen people. They met with David Belardes, a tribal leader. He was chosen as the "most likely descendant" for the project, which is a requirement under California law.

However, David Belardes led only one of three Acjachemen groups. Two larger groups, led by Damien Shilo and Sonia Johnston, did not agree with the plan. They wanted the land to be saved for a cultural center. These groups, along with environmentalists and local residents, formed a group called Spirit of Capistrano.

A professor named Patricia Martz, who joined the opposition, thought as many as 175 bodies might be buried on the site. But other experts, like archaeologist Henry Koerper, doubted this number. He noted that only seven burial sites had been found.

Two lawsuits were filed to try and stop the school. Opponents also tried to get a public vote on the project, but they could not get enough signatures. The city eventually approved the construction of the gymnasium, sports facilities, and performing arts complex. Construction started in 2003, with many protests. People were worried that more ancient remains and artifacts were dug up during construction. They were also concerned that these items were reburied in a secret location.

Many Acjachemen people protested to stop the building. Other Indigenous peoples of California, like the Tongva and Mexican Indigenous activists, also joined the protests. Critics pointed out that the high school was named after Junípero Serra. He was the founder of the local mission that originally caused the people of Putuidem to be displaced. Some critics called the school's construction a continuation of the removal of Indigenous people and a loss of Acjachemen culture. The high school's student newspaper, The Paw Print, has discussed the history of the site. Some school staff have also reported strange occurrences at the complex.

Putuidem Village Park Today

In 2015, the Acjachemen people and the city of San Juan Capistrano started working together. Their goal was to build a 1.3-acre park north of the high school. The park was planned to have a statue of Coronne, a small outdoor theater, traditional buildings, and educational displays. It would also include a cultural center.

After some delays, the park officially opened in late 2021. It is now called The Village of Putuidem. The area where the park is located, called the Northwest Open Space, is still being considered for more building projects. This is despite opposition from people who want to keep it as open land. The city bought this 65-acre space in the 1990s using money specifically raised to acquire more open space.