SSBMI Language Department

• Watermelon is an introduced fruit. The name santiiyá comes from the Spanish word sandía, which speakers adapted to sound like a Nisenan word.
• The climate of California's Central Valley provides ideal conditions for growing santiiyá, which have been cultivated in California since the late 1800s. Today, California is one of the largest watermelon producers in the United States.

Esak’ahá daak’ábe mi c’aykɨ́ɨ? (Do you want to know more?) This webpage is part of a larger initiative to share signage highlighting plants found around the Shingle Springs Rancheria and their Nisenan names.