News From Native California - Winter 2015-16 Volume 29, Issue 2 | Page 2

editor’s notes news from native california PUBLISHER: Malcolm Margolin Malcolm Margolin, David W. Peri, Vera Mae Fredrickson FOUNDERS: EDITOR: Terria Smith CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Tiffany Adams, Dugan Aguilar, Lindsie Bear, Brian Bibby, Marina Drummer, Margaret Dubin, L. Frank, Jeannine Gendar, Leanne Hinton, Julian Lang, Frank LaPena, Vincent Medina, Beverly R. Ortiz, Sage Romero, Terria Smith, Paula Tripp-Allen, Linda Yamane OUTREACH COORDINATOR: Vincent Medina GRAPHIC DESIGN: Tima Link PROOFREADING: Kim Hogeland PRINTING: Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, KS NEWS FROM NATIVE CALIFORNIA Volume 29, Issue 2, Winter 2015/16 (ISSN 10405437) is published quarterly for $22.50 per year by Heyday, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational corporation, located at 1633 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94703. Phone: (510) 549-2802, Fax: (510) 549-1889 Mail Address: Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709. Periodical postage paid at Berkeley, CA and additional mailing offices. Internet address: www.newsfromnativecalifornia.com [email protected] Subscription rates $22.50 per year. Single copies $5.95. Foreign rates $42.50 per year. Copyright © 2016 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. well wow! these first few months in my new post as editor for News have been larger than life. This new endeavor has taken me as far north as Grass Valley for Nisenan Heritage Day and as far south as San Diego County for a visit to Kumeyaay Community College. I had the opportunity to attend the 30th Annual California Indian Conference at UC Berkeley (Go Bears!) and meet a multitude of wonderful community members. Every welcome has been so special. My co-worker Vincent has traveled to D.C. to meet Pope Francis and to India to learn about indigenous foods. Our magnificent and majestic boss Malcolm officially announced his retirement from Heyday and we are heading into a major transition. Fortunately, this type of change is familiar in our communities. Something that has resonated with me in these first few months with News is how amazing our California tribal people are at perpetuating our cultures in spite of the countless challenges and changes imposed on our ways of life. This triumph is tremendous and intergenerational. Stan Rodriguez, Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel tribal legislator, said it best when I visited his Kumeyaay language class this fall. When talking about the way his tribal people have commanded the authority of their own history, he said, “We’re not victims, we’re survivors!” Indeed we are. So it is the spirit of this endurance in the face of the seemingly endless battle against voicelessness and the relentless perseverance of our customs that inspired the theme of this issue: Long Live the Cultures! We are proud and honored to have the beautiful Chiitaanibah Johnson (Maidu/Navajo) featured on the cover this issue! This young Sacramento State University student made headlines in September when she challenged her history instructor’s dismissal of genocide in reference to what happened to Native American people. She is a testament to the fact that we are no longer in an era where we have to be silent in order to survive. We also have a number of stories about the educational experiences of other Native people across the state. This includes a feature about a very special cultural program at Kumeyaay Community College. River Garza (Tongva), a Cal Poly Pomona student, wrote about how he has had to rise above his own obstacles in pursuit of his education. And…this issue is full of language! Thanks to the California Arts Council, we have a special feature about this year’s Language is Life conference that took place on Wonder Valley Ranch, and this season’s “In Our Languages” features a story in Kawaiisu. Finally, we remember beloved Maidu elder April Moore as well as community supporter Patricia Parker. We received so many wonderful submissions this time around and we are busting at the seams. Nevertheless, we would be so pleased if you would keep them coming! Ac’ama! —Terria Smith, Editor POSTMASTER: Send address changes to News from Native California, Box 9145, Berkeley, CA 94709. USPS 002704 NNC_W1516_cover_tl.indd 2 ON THE COVER: Chiitaanibah Johnson (Maidu/Navajo) made national headlines in September 2015 by challenging her Sacramento State University history instructor when he argued that Native Peoples in North America were not victims of genocide. Photo courtesy of Vincent Medina. BACK COVER: Left to right: Richard Bugbee (Luiseño) and Stan Rodriguez (Kumeyaay) build a traditional tule boat. Photo courtesy of Scott Braley. 1/4/16 11:16 AM