Editing Quechan (section)

== The Yuma Route ==
The Yuma route was a trail that ran from Southern New Mexico and reached [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]] and [[Sonora]]. The trail branched out even further to reach the [[Los Angeles Basin]], [[San Diego]], [[Colorado River]] and the [[Gila River]]. This route was well established before the arrival of the Spanish, and used as a trade route amongst the tribes of the areas.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Forbes |first=Jack D. |date=1964-06-01 |title=The Development of the Yuma Route before 1846 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/25155639 |journal=California Historical Society Quarterly |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=99–118 |doi=10.2307/25155639 |jstor=25155639 |issn=0008-1175|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

At first, the Spanish used minor portions of the trail. It was not until San Diego and Monterey were established that they needed a more reliable and faster path. The path was first walked by Sebastian Taraval, a [[Cochimí|Cochimi]] indigenous who fled from San Gabriel. Sebastian was then followed by Captain Juan Bautista de Anza. Anza was only able to follow Sebastian to the Imperial Valley Kamia village, where he lost Sebastian and was forced to reach the Quechan people on his own.<ref name=":1" />