California Native American Day

The 4th Friday of September in California is Native American Day. In honor of this day, and the Native People, "Indian Week is celebrated around the State."

I remember Native American Day from 2008 very well. My family and I went to the new
Dorothy Ramon Learning Center on San Gorgonio, in Banning, CA. and behind it exhibits were set up. Unfortunately we didn't get there early enough to participate in the flute making, but we did see how they made them. The kids had fun, and I learned a few things.

We left Banning and drove over to Palm Springs to see the Ramona Basket that was on exhibit for the first time ever at the Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum while waiting for the Grand Entry at the Thunder and Lightning Pow Wow later that night.

The Basket was woven by Ramona after her husband was murdered. She was very depressed and wanted to die also so she could be with him. She wove a big star in the middle of the basket, and a lot of little stars all around it. Ramona was so upset after her husband Don Diego was killed that she thought this basket would take her to heaven also. When it didn't she sold it to a friend. That was in 1878. The Ramona Basket remained in private collections until 2006 when the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians bought it.

The Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum
Downtown Palm Springs
219 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Phone # 760.778-1079
The Winter Hours (Seasonal) are Wed-Sat 10-5 and Sunday 12-5.

CA History isn't what I was going to write about here, however these dates are important in the history time-line of CA Indians. These are just a few of the events that caused death to a culture, and prevented many CA Native American Indians from living on their own lands and later being recognized by the same Government that took their land. The Mission period and the California Gold rush were disastrous to the Indians and their culture yet our schools still glorify the Missionaries and the Missions.

1802-1806 - Measles,Pneumonia and Diphtheria epidemics in missions killed thousands of Indians

1848-1851 - Gold was discovered and with the CA Gold Rush,violence against Indians and stealing their lands was commonplace and accepted. This was one of the biggest reasons that tribes were uprooted and later weren't able to meet the criteria the USA Government set to be a Federally Recognized Tribe.

1855- Reservations were established for the Federally Recognized Tribes

1924- Indians finally given the right to vote

"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave."

Dakota