News From Native California Volume 31, Issue 1 | Page 3

editor’s notes news from native california PUBLISHER: Steve Wasserman Malcolm Margolin, David W. Peri, Vera Mae Fredrickson FOUNDERS: EDITOR: Terria Smith CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Tiffany Adams, Dugan Aguilar, Lindsie Bear, Brian Bibby, Marina Drummer, L. Frank, Jeannine Gendar, Leanne Hinton, Julian Lang, Frank LaPena, William Madrigal Jr., Meyo Marrufo, Vincent Medina, Beverly R. Ortiz, Stan Rodriquez, Sage Romero, Terria Smith, Paula Tripp- Allen, Linda Yamane OUTREACH COORDINATOR: Vincent Medina GRAPHIC DESIGN: Tima Link PROOFREADING: Kim Hogeland INTERN: Camaray Davalos PRINTING: Modern Litho, Jefferson City, MO NEWS FROM NATIVE CALIFORNIA Volume 31, Issue 1, Fall 2017 (ISSN 10405437) is published quarterly for $21.00 per year by Heyday, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational corporation, c/o WeWork, 2120 University Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704 Phone: (510) 549-2802, Fax: (510) 549-1889 Mail Address: P.O. Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709. Periodical postage paid at Berkeley, CA and additional mailing offices. Internet address: www.newsfromnativecalifornia.com [email protected] Subscription rates $21.00 per year. Single copies $5.95. International rates $41 per year. Copyright © 2017 by News from Native California except where otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited. Opinions expressed in articles and columns are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. Printed on 10% post consumer waste recycled paper. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to News from Native California, P.O. Box 92707, Long Beach, CA 90809. USPS 002704 Questions? Email [email protected] or call 888-881-5861. Téyan ONCE UPON A time, I was a troubled reservation teen who had to be sent away from home for a while. I remember going through some turmoil and mentioning on a phone call to my family that I was worried about being so far away from my Southern California homeland that perhaps my ancestors would not hear me when I prayed to them asking for help. My late auntie, who was my cultural teacher, said that this was not possible: “[Your culture] is always with you no matter where you go.” And this has been true throughout my life. Over the years I have traveled all across the country and overseas, carrying my California Native (Desert Cahuilla) culture with me. Most recently, when I was in Cuba this past spring, I brought gifts to my hosts and the people I had befriended. Each of them seemed surprised by the practice. “It’s my culture,” I explained. “We are giving people.” In the same spirit, this issue is filled with the things we give, share, and carry. We are so honored that elder Marie Wilcox, who has done so much—including saving her Wukchumni language—is featured on our cover this issue. “In Our Languages” this time around is a poem in Luiseño written by Shelbi Nahwilet Meissner (Luiseño/Cupeño). We have a photo essay recognizing the wonderful culture bearers with the California Indian Basketweavers Association at their 2017 gathering at the Autry Museum of the American West. Our writing intern Camaray Davalos (Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians) addresses some of the complications of sharing too much when it comes to gathering Native plants. And then there is a story about the Northern Chumash who are teaching the community at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo about the traditional world around them. Further, I am honored to offer gratitude to someone who has shared and given so much to me as well as his community, our newest contributing editor Stanley Rodriguez. If you don’t know Stan “The Man,” you are missing out. He is a powerful cultural teacher and a board member with the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival. Because of him, I am certain the Kumeyaay language will be around for at least another hundred years. Stan serves as a tribal legislator for his Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel. He is a husband and father. He is a doctoral candidate at University of California, San Diego. And somehow in the midst of all that he does, Stan manages to be a good friend to so many of us. He will be guiding, advising, and of course making us laugh at News. Welcome Stan! Another year has gone by in my service as roundhouse director. And what a year it has been! We continue to celebrate thirty years of this magazine. More than ever, with all the changes that we at Heyday are going through, we thrive on your friendship, care, and support. —Terria Smith ON THE COVER: Wukchumni elder Marie Wilcox during the 2017 California Indian Market at Tuolumne. Photo by Beverly Ortiz. BACK COVER: Acorn dice game set. Photo taken during the 2017 California Indian Basketweavers Association Gathering at the Autry Museum of the American West. Photo by Terria Smith.