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
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Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone: (510) 549-2802, Fax: (510) 549-1889
Mail Address: P.O. Box 9145, Berkeley, CA
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Copyright © 2017 by News from Native
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Opinions expressed in articles and columns
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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.