Indigenous in LA

[blackcrowheart]

Indigenous in LA
www.labrainterrain.com/2006/10/30/indigenous_in_la.html
<http://www.labrainterrain.com/2006/10/30/indigenous_in_la.html>
Under Spring, the post-Not a Cornfield project group, just announced its
own Ofrenda event
<http://notacornfield.com/events/2006/10/la-ofrenda-2006-announced-art-m\
usic.html> , celebrating the Day of the Dead. Festivities start at 5:45
AM on Thursday, November 2nd, with a sunrise ceremony honoring the
Tongva ancestors, the tribe who once inhabited the area, at Cornhenge,
the Metabolic sculpture now occupying the Not a Cornfield site. The
Tongva rite reminds me that November is Native American Heritage Month.
What better way to celebrate than to recognize how many residents of LA
County and Southern California can claim indigenous heritage. Indeed,
here's a fascinating report
<http://lewis.sppsr.ucla.edu/publications/policybriefs/AIANAdultReport1.\
pdf> on American Indian Adults in Los Angeles County. Did you know that
Los Angeles is home to the largest population of urbanized American
Indians in the U.S.? While there are many Native Americans who come from
tribes based in the Southern Californian region, a wide variety of
indigenous peoples from Central America, Latin America, Polynesia and
Asia also reside here.
When I first moved back to L.A., I was startled to realize that many of
my neighbors possessed profiles not unlike those of figures found in the
Popul Voh and other mesoAmerican codices and that got me thinking. I
wondered how many newcomers from Central and Latin America are really
indigenous folks looking for a better deal than what they get from their
home countries. Here's a brief list of places where you can learn more
about indigenous LA:
Chumash Interpretive Center in Thousand Oaks
<http://www.chumashcenter.org/> GABRIELINO/TONGVA BAND OF MISSION
INDIANS OF SAN GABRIEL <http://www.tongva.com/> Gabrielino Tongva
Tribal Council <http://www.tongvatribe.org/> Gabrielino Tongva Springs
Foundation <http://www.onionskin.com/gabrielino/us.htm> Fernandeño
Tataviam Band of Mission Indian <http://www.tataviam.org/> Indigenous
Children of Americas <http://www.icota.org/howyoucanhelp.html> Los
Angeles Indigenous Peoples' Alliance <http://www.laipa.net/aboutus.htm>
The Ke Po‘okela Cultural Foundation
<http://www.kpcf.net/about.html> Kumeyaay Nation
<http://www.kumeyaay.com/reservations/> -tribes native to San Diego/Baja
areas Maya Vision <http://www.7genfund.org/aff-may-vis.html> , a
non-profit on West James M. Wood Blvd that provides services for the
larger community of Indigenous Guatemalans and Mayans of the greater Los
Angeles area. Each community leader represents one of the seven distinct
languages and cultures of the Quiche,(imagine you see an accent over the
e, please) Mam, Kanjobal, Aguacateco, Quekchi, Chuj and Cakchiquel.
Malki Museum <http://www.malkimuseum.org/index.html> preserves Cahuilla
culture
The Native Bruin <http://www.aisc.ucla.edu/nb.pdf> -Native American
paper of UCLA
Nonosina Dance Group <http://www.nonosina.com/home.htm> -Polynesian
dance troupe Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians Cultural Center
<http://www.pechanga-nsn.gov/page?pageId=32> Rancho Sierra Vista
<http://www.nps.gov/archive/samo/brochure/rsv.htm> -Satwiwa Native
American Indian Natural Area Southern California Indian Center
<http://www.indiancenter.org/pages/index.php?ID=5> Inc has an office on
Wilshire Blvd-they host an annual PowWow at the Gene Autry Museum of the
American West Tafesilafai <http://tafesilafai.org/aboutus.htm>
--preserves and teaches Samoan culture Tongan American Youth Foundation
<http://www.planet-tonga.com/events/tongan_high_school/index.shtml>
United Indian Involvement, Inc
<http://www.uaii.org/index.php?title=United_American_Indian_Involvement>
-provides services for Native Americans in Greater Los Angeles County
Mainstream resources:
American Indian Resource Center at Huntington Museum
<http://www.colapublib.org/libs/huntingtonpark/indian.php4>

American Indian Studies Center, UCLA <http://www.aisc.ucla.edu/>
California Indian Legal Services
<http://www.calindian.org/aboutcils.htm>
Gene Autry Museum of American West
Southwest Museum International Institute of Los Angeles
<http://www.iilosangeles.org/about.htm>