What’s On
Images: Details from the two-part graphic novel Our Past, Present, and Future, and Beyond Gaming, authored by Tribal Historians Ethan Banegas, Michael Connolly Miskwish, Lorraine Orosco, and Stanley Rodriguez, and illustrated by John Swogger. Project Coordinator and supplementary research by Jen Shannon, National Museum of the American Indian/University of Colorado Boulder. Education Liaison Jewyl Alderson, San Diego County Office of Education.
About the Project Director: Ethan Banegas (Luiseno-Kumeyaay) has taught Kumeyaay history at the Kumeyaay Community College. He grew up on the Barona Reservation in San Diego County. He is the co-owner of Kumeyaay.com, currently serves as Historian for the San Diego History Center and has served on the board of directors for the Barona Museum and Cultural Center. He is the author of Kumeyaay Oral History Project (2020). He received his BA degree in History, Religious Studies and Political Science in 2009 and his MA degree in January 2017 from the University of San Diego.
Funding for this exhibition generously provided by Prebys Foundation, Conboy Family Trust, and Suzanne Conlon. Additional support provided by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and Members of the La Jolla Historical Society.
June 14 - August 31, 2025
Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project
“Visual storytelling has been a part of Kumeyaay tradition since time immemorial.”
The Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project is an immersive exhibition that invites viewers into the pages of the two-part graphic novel Our Past, Present, and Future, and Beyond Gaming, authored by Tribal Historians Ethan Banegas, Michael Connolly Miskwish, Lorraine Orosco, and Stanley Rodriguez, and illustrated by John Swogger. LJHS is honored to present history from a Kumeyaay perspective through this project, combining vibrant color and imagery with compelling and personal narratives.
The origins of the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project (KVSP) date back to 2019, when founders of NAGPRA Comics, Jen Shannon and John Swogger, met Kumeyaay Tribal Historians Mike Connolly Miskwish and Stan Rodriguez at San Diego Comic-Con. They discussed the need for more accurate and Indigenous-led accounts of California history, and from that initial meeting the seeds of a Kumeyaay-directed, community-based research project and comic series were planted. Funding for the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling Project community-engaged comic was provided by California Humanities for All and the Whiting Foundation Public Engagement Fellowship with additional support from the University of Colorado Boulder and Kumeyaay Community College.
LJHS first approached the creators of these remarkable comics about presenting them in exhibition form in 2023. Project Director Ethan Banegas wished to amplify these powerful stories and share them with new audiences through LJHS’s free exhibition program. Banegas shared: “Our collaboration with LJHS is a monumental achievement for the Kumeyaay Visual Storytelling team. This is a great opportunity to showcase our work in partnership with LJHS to reach a wider audience.”
The exhibition also presented an opportunity for LJHS to partner with over 150 students from High Tech Middle Mesa and Barona Charter School and address the need for Indigenous-led accounts of regional history in schools. Participating students contributed original textile artwork inspired by the comics.
Visitors to the exhibition will discover the community-based creative process behind the comics through video interviews with the Project Team. They will view large-scale reproductions of the comic’s pages, learn about Kumeyaay language and traditions through participatory elements, and have the opportunity to create their own comic strip through a hands-on activity. The exhibition will invite learning and dialogue about the value of using comics to address complex narratives and under-represented histories. It will also amplify awareness and appreciation of Indigenous-led and Kumeyaay-centered accounts of regional history.
Our Past, Present, and Future and Beyond Gaming (Kumeyaay Comics, 2024) is an open-source publication, available to download or purchase on demand HERE.