Giving Thanks

 

 Giving Thanks

Sharing the Values of the IE’s Native American Tribes

By: Jamie Solis

Before the arrival of Europeans to North America, Native Americans lived in harmony with nature, graciously taking only what they needed from the land in order to sustain their lives. Bound into slavery and onto reservations, many customs and traditions were forcibly stripped away from Native Americans, including their ability to access indigenous and healthy foods. In the spirit of Native American Heritage Month, we’re highlighting the native tribes that currently live in the Inland Empire, with a focus on honoring their customs surrounding indigenous foods. Native Americans continue to have a strong connection with food and the environment, which is a lifestyle modern Americans can learn from—we tend to be disconnected from our Earth and under the illusion that we in fact own it

November is Native American Heritage month, so there’s no better time to honor those native to this beautiful land. As you sit down to feast with your family for Thanksgiving and participate in traditions like sharing what you’re thankful for, you may be reminded of the first Thanksgiving. Your history book was filled with pictures of pilgrims and Native Americans smiling from ear to ear in front of a plethora of the same food you’re currently enjoying. If you choose to take a more analytic look at the origins and tales that surround the stories of America’s rediscovery, then you can break out from the fantastical myth of this holiday. Only then, you’ll be able to face the harsh reality that the relationship between Native Americans and Puritans was often non-peaceful and brutal.

Your History Lesson

Long before Europeans settled into what is now called the United States, Native Americans lived a simple life, where they hunted and gathered meals as-needed and used simple methods of preparation. Main dishes consisted of a local protein, whether it was fowl, fish or a variety of wild game. When hunting provided an overwhelming supply of food, they would preserve the meat by the means of dehydration or smoking—sure to never waste what they had taken. Often vegetables and meats were mixed together to make stews, and they prepared special dishes for cultural celebrations. The Inland Empire is home to many groups of Native Americans, including Cahuilla, Serrano and Cherokee tribes—all of whom have roots deeper in this soil than the century-old trees. Their food customs are unique, as the regions of each tribe dictate which ingredients are accessible. While corn is the most typical representation of the Native American cuisine, there are many other integral items that make up traditional dishes.

Many modern-day Cahuilla Indians have lived in Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Riverside County and the mountains of Palm Springs for thousands of years. With more than 31,500 acres of ancestral lands, the Cahuilla preserve a habitat for Bighorn sheep. According to Michael Hammond, the director of the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, time-honored foods of the Cahuilla Tribe aren’t typically consumed today. Their indigenous cuisine includes, “Mesquite beans, acorns, chuckwalla, rabbits, quail, sphinx moth larva, chia [and] cactus blossoms to name a few.” Their environment provided a plethora of fresh resources. A food that is customarily used in cultural celebrations is called weewish. This is ground up acorn leached with water. Its resulting texture resembles the mashed potatoes you’d find on your Thanksgiving table, but its unique flavor does not taste anything like potatoes.

The Serrano Tribe also resides within the IE. The valleys, passes, mountains and highlands of San Bernardino, as well as west into the San Gabriel Mountains, North Baldy and Big Bear Lake were all within the territory of the Serrano. A traditional Serrano food called wiic, which is made from the acorns of the black oak tree is still prepared today, especially in celebrations surrounding renewal. The blooms and stocks of the yucca plant are harvested annually. Deer, rabbit, pine nuts and Manzanita berries are also foods native to this tribe and region.

While those of Cherokee heritage living in the Inland Empire are residing outside of the traditional Cherokee boundaries, a non-profit community that is dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the Cherokee Nation can be found within the Inland Empire, with a presence most heavily centered in San Bernardino and Riverside. The Cherokee Nation publishes an online cook book that highlights cooking traditions, indigenous dishes and current renditions of time-honored Native cuisine. Simple foods that are commonly found on the Cherokee table are hominy, dried corn, dried fruits, bean bread and wild meats.

Feeding Your Soul

Food isn’t just for nourishing one’s body—it is also an important element for spiritual celebration, social fabric and maintaining a connection with nature. Men are typically responsible for bringing in rabbits and other game animals, while cooking food for the family is largely a duty held by women in Native American families. These largely matrilineal societies are set up where it’s the mother’s role to provide nourishment for her family. She provides the infant’s first meal through nursing, and she continues to lovingly nourish anyone who comes into her home. Therefore, many ancient tribal stories relate food with their familial and spiritual ties.

One tale from the Serrano tribe, specifically the Yuhaviat clan, maintains a connection of Big Bear Lake to their people. This is because the water, plants and trees that supply food in the area are all part of their creation story. They believe their creator, Kruktat, was ill and dying high in the mountains of Big Bear Lake. When he died, the first people mourned his death, and their grief turned into pine trees. These trees began to provide nuts and acorns that fed the families of the Yuhaviat clan. This area still provides the pinon nuts and other foods from the plants that were traditionally harvested by the Serrano people.

Another traditional story that represents the intrinsic connection between nature, family and food comes from the Cherokee Nation. The first woman of the Cherokee people was named Selu, also known as the “Corn Woman.” She lived with her husband and two sons. In the story, her boys discovered the unbelievable origin of the abundance of corn their mother returned home with. They witnessed her placing a basket on the ground, shaking herself, and the corn falling into the basket from her body. They thought she had to be a witch, and they decided to put her to death. Selu read her son’s thoughts and told them precise instructions they must follow after killing her to ensure they still received corn. However, the boys executed Selu’s instructions incorrectly and because of that, corn now needs to be planted and tended to in order to grow. These stories demonstrate how deeply food is integrated into the belief systems and social fabric of Native American communities. They are sure to practice respecting nature, and they always leave enough resources behind to ensure next year’s harvest.

Although the Serrano people use animals for food, they treat nature and animals with the upmost respect, because they believe that animals and plants were once people who have transformed into other forms. According to a Serrano legend, the origin of deer (a staple in Serrano’s diet) came from people who had transformed into deer by their Lord’s request. The appreciation of the sacrificing of each animal’s life was not taken lightly. Large game was only killed after special ceremonial rituals were performed. Often the rituals included prayers, singing and dancing that lasted throughout the night and into dawn. Plants were given this same type of respect because of ancient stories and traditions. According the Cahuilla people, medicinal plants also came to be through a transformation of people at the request of their Lord. You’ll see that in Native American culture, nothing is taken from the land without a sense of gratefulness.

Celebrating Tradition

There are many events where you can celebrate ancient and modern traditions of Native American culture in the IE. Next week, the Cabazon XXXII Indian Powwow is happening at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Rain or shine, this powwow is being held inside their event center, starting on National Native American Heritage Day, Friday, Nov. 29th and going throughout the weekend. Contrary to popular belief, Powwows are not just for Natives, non-Natives are more than welcome to come and join in on the celebration as well. There will be arts and crafts, food, shopping and traditional singing and dancing, as well as inner-tribal, which is an opportunity for non-Natives to join the circle and dance alongside Native Americans to the drum beats.

Celebrating with singing and dancing has always been a way for Native Americans to show their thanks for the harvest—it’s a colorful way to show gratefulness for a successful hunt and abundance of crops. The Director of Cultural Affairs for the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, Judy Stapp, shared with the Weekly, “Native Americans have always have taken care of Mother Earth. They would never over-harvest. They knew they had to take care of Mother Earth, because Mother Earth took care of them.” If you’re interested in giving thanks for a lifetime of great food, and maybe even trying out some new Native dishes, Stapp informed us that this celebration would not be complete without some favorites.
Food booths will be selling many Native foods, including fried bread. This Native American tradition in California and throughout the United States somewhat resembles a puffy tortilla that is then filled with meat, honey or modern fillings like strawberry shortcake. There are plenty of meats prepared over an open fire, as well as a vendor selling buffalo burgers, buffalo being a very traditional Native meat. Another booth specializes in Navajo food, which usually consists of lamb with green and red chili. Bring the family to experience the food and dance, and leave with an understanding of Native cultural values.

Grateful Heart

American culture is vastly different from the traditional ways of the Native Americans. While they had a strong appreciation for nature and its many gifts that sustain life, modern day Americans tend to take Mother Earth for granted, with an abundance of travesties to our environment—including industrialized “necessities” that pollute the air and water and factory farms that exploit billions of animals that are treated as commodities instead of living beings. Part of the Native American culture that still exists today is utilizing natural resources, without taking more than what’s needed to sustain life. It is important to appreciate and emulate these fading cultural values in our modern society. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, take the time to give thanks for Mother Earth’s life-sustaining gifts.

Originally Published by IE Weekly on November 21, 2013: http://ieweekly.com/2013/11/feature-stories/giving-thanks/

Apparition Experts

 

Apparition Experts

IE’s Paranormal Investigation Team Takes on Downtown Riverside

By: Jamie Solis

What would you do if there was a perverted spirit in your bathroom who stole your money and shared a preference of you wearing silky panties? These aren’t obscure occurrences from horror films like The Conjuring or The Shining . . . these are documented findings of a paranormal investigation team right here in the Inland Empire.

As humans born into this chaotic world, we’re given one guarantee with life, and that is the inevitability of facing death one day. There are countless uncertainties surrounding our encounter the grim reaper, and it’s quite normal for one to develop a curiosity into what the afterlife entails. Despite your religion, beliefs or faith, there’s no absolute way of knowing for a fact what follows life. However, a group of curious individuals may have found a way of validating that the other side does exist. These brave analysts are the paranormal investigation team Cal~Para Research.

I was lucky enough to meet up with four members of the Cal~Para Research team at a haunted location that they’ve had intelligent communication with spirits at in the past. The investigation took place in the beautiful and historic downtown area of Riverside that is home to wide streets lined with historic buildings. Americans first began settling in Riverside as early as 1873, while it was home to the Spanish colonials before then, and Native Americans lived on the land even earlier. It’s safe to say that there are generations on top of generations of potential spirits lingering on this land—a perfect place for my first ghost hunt.

Downtowne Presence

It’s a hot fall night and I find myself standing outside Downtowne Bookstore. The white stringed lights hanging against the brick building illuminate a path down a narrow walkway towards the entrance of the bookstore. The sun has set for the day, but there’s still enough light to make the experience feel less creepy. After all, I know I’m heading into a location that has been deemed a hot spot for paranormal activity. Upon entering the quirky bookstore, a friendly and inviting woman behind the counter smiled at me and graciously offered her assistance. I introduced myself, and she eagerly let me in on the many ghost stories that have happened within this old brick building.

While the exact history of the building is largely unknown, the owner of Downtowne Bookstore, Nadia, shared the little knowledge she has about its past. In 1927, this building was home to the newspaper Enterprise before merging with the well-known publication that’s still around today, Press Enterprise. At some point trophies were made here, and later it housed a record store. By 1974 it was a bookstore, which it still is today. Nadia has been here for 11 years, and throughout the years there have been countless instances that make her believe in the ghosts that inhabit Downtowne Bookstore. The first clue to the haunting was when Nadia and her sister opened up shop in ‘03. She explained, “On the top shelf, one book, we both saw it, eased out and dropped—all on its own, no earthquake, no wind, just all on its little lonesome.” Aside from this, Nadia frequently hears unfamiliar and unexplainable noises. Since then, Nadia and her sister have had multiple paranormal groups come to investigate the bookstore, and each group has had similar findings.

Nadia met the Cal~Para Research team when she was spending a day at the bookstore. Cal~Para had gotten a tip that all the downtown buildings lining Main St. are haunted, so they came by door to door offering their paranormal investigating services. Nadia graciously accepted, which started a long friendship of allowing the investigators to research this location frequently. The team has even installed a live-feed camera (a para-cam) in the basement, which catches footage between midnight and 4a.m. The first time Cal~Para Investigators came to the Downtowne Bookstore they caught an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) on a digital audio recorder. An investigator asked the simple question out-loud to the spirits, “Can you come over?” The recorder picked up a clear EVP response, “No, I’m dead.”

Downtowne Bookstore has had multiple instances of validation of the paranormal world existing within it. A photograph that was taken when Cal~Para first investigated this location years ago shows a glowing orb hovering in the basement—a proven hot spot for spirit activity. The hard evidence as well as the personal experiences that Nadia and her sister have had in the store validate their beliefs. Nadia assured me, “We really believe something’s here.”

Keep an Open Mind

After speaking with Nadia, I knew it was time to meet the Cal~Para Research team. I looked around for the ghost hunters, but didn’t see them anywhere . . . there was absolutely no one wearing white jumpsuits or oversized ghost hunting machines that resembled backpacks. Instead, Nadia pointed me to her right, where a group of friendly and regular looking women and one man were sitting in a circle. Here I’m introduced to my paranormal team for the evening, Kd the director and lead investigator, Jean the assistant director and lead investigator, Sue the investigator and John the web developer and investigator.

Made up of a group of about 20 individuals, the Cal~Para Research investigators are far from the GhostBusters portrayed in television and movies. These confident members all bring different strengths and perspectives to the group. Many in the team are self-described as “sensitive.”

While you may be more familiar with the terms medium or psychic, these individuals prefer to avoid the preconceived assumptions that may come with these labels. Rather, they have different levels of sensitivity into perceiving the spirits and paranormal world. On the other hand, there are also those in the group who identify as open-minded with a healthy sense of skepticism. The team’s diversity is centered on an eagerness to find the supernatural and is dependent upon using scientific means to validate their findings. While many of the group members are sensitive, they never base their case-findings off of perceptions alone.

Running into ghost activity seemed highly likely for the night as the team informed me that three spirits hang out in the upper floor of the bookstore, while a child and unfriendly male spirit linger in the basement. Headed down to the dark and book-cluttered basement, we began our ghost hunting session sitting in a circle with multiple investigative tools in the center. Early on, the child spirit showed itself to us by lighting up the K-II (Electron Magnetic Field Meter) twice, which is Kd’s favorite way to communicate with spirits. While the sporadic illumination of the red, green and yellow lights on the K-II shows a spirit may be present, an even more spooky experience that absolutely confirmed the existence of the child ghost within the basement didn’t happened until after the investigation concluded.

Nearly every member of the Cal~Para Research team carries a digital audio recorder, because EVPs are more common that disembodied audible voices that you would hear first hand. The team members frequently get EVPs, hearing the otherworldly voices on the recordings alone, because it takes a lot of energy for a spirit to project their voice from their fourth dimension into our third dimension, but they come through audible on recordings. I personally recorded the entire interview session in the basement, asking the team questions about their different experiences as ghost hunters. It wasn’t until I went home later that evening that I noticed 15 seconds into our basement session that there was a small child laughing on my recording—loudly and clearly. Where had this come from? There were no computers or TVs on . . . let alone any children in the area. I may have been extremely skeptical coming into this experience, but there is no denying this child’s laughter on my recording when nothing was present that could’ve accounted for that sound—it was just five adults in the dark basement. I didn’t hear the laughter at the time, even though the recording sounds as if the child was sitting right next to me. I recall Kd informing me that the spot I chose to sit in was also where they captured a video of white mist hovering—apparently I had chosen to hang out in a known hot spot.

Evidence Doesn’t Lie

The paranormal team shared other stories from previous haunt sessions. One of the investigators, Sue, is convinced the supernatural world exists, because it has reached out and physically touched her. One time in particular, the ghostly touch was backed up by an EVP.

Sue explained, “We were all sitting around doing EVPs, somewhat in the dark, in a young girl’s bedroom. And I just was standing in the doorway and basically just hanging my hands down, and I felt something go like that to me. (tickles the palm of her left hand with her right fingers.) And I thought ‘that’s weird.’ I thought it could be bugs—it was a hot night and we had doors and windows open. But I said something, I said ‘something just touched me . . . touched my hand,’ and we had an EVP, and it sounded like a little child saying ‘it was me.’ So that probably was my most compelling [evidence that the paranormal world exists], because I thought something and we got it confirmed.”

It is common for the team to collect evidence; however the evidence frequently disappears without reason. For example, Jean once captured a shadow dart across a room on her video camera. She went home and shared the tape with her daughter. When she went back to save the video, the three frames that the spirit was originally in had gone completely black—the image had disappeared. John is a skeptic who joined Cal~Para Research to find proof firsthand. He explained, “Once I turned 50, I started thinking about dyin’ so I’m thinkin’ what happens afterwards?” His ultimate goal is to capture a full-bodied apparition one day. On two separate occasions John has caught a visual mist on his video camera, and when he went back to save the image, it was gone. There is no way to explain why this happened without spirit intervention.

Going into this experience skeptical, I was impressed by the findings of the paranormal investigators, as well as my own. After having first-hand experiences and collecting indisputable evidence, my skeptical side has shifted towards open-mindedness. And although I didn’t run into any life-threatening or utterly terrifying events (which I’m grateful for to say the least), I did learn a great amount about the ins-and-outs of ghost hunting.

If you’re convinced that the house you’re living in has some unwanted guests, feel free to call the Cal~Para Investigators. Not only is their service absolutely free, but they pride themselves in keeping your case 100 percent confidential. You may find out that the lingering spirit is really your grandmother watching over your children, which is a common finding. The best advice Cal~Para Research shared would like to share is that you shouldn’t tamper with what you’re not educated about and experienced in when it comes to spirits. After all, you wouldn’t want a spirit attaching itself to you. And one other word of advice . . . whatever you do—don’t burn your Ouiji Board.

www.calparainvestigations.wordpress.com

Originally Published by IE Weekly on October 24, 2013: http://ieweekly.com/2013/10/feature-stories/apparition-experts/

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

 

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Immortalizing Riverside’s Imprints of “The Golden Dream”

By: Jamie Solis

The golden dream has always existed within the desirous minds of Americans. It’s stated on the Statue of Liberty herself, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This quote from the sonnet New Colossus by Emma Lazarus has been an anthem of humankind for over a century, breathing the vision of prosperity and freedom from oppression for every person regardless of their race, ethnicity or class. This August marks 50 years since the brave Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr.’s infamous I Have a Dream speech echoed against the Lincoln Memorial. He addressed how the Constitution and Declaration of Independence ensured that “all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” This marks an appropriate time to delve into our local ties—to recognize the individuals who made their way to the Inland Empire in hopes for a better life for themselves and their families—a once in a lifetime shot at the American Dream they were promised.

The Eastside of Riverside has always been a mecca for Latino and African American families looking to find success. Many African American military men migrated to March Air Force Base from the Old South, and the commercial areas that line University Avenue are littered with evidence of this—from the historic buildings that tell captivating anecdotes of Southern California’s past to the residents that still recall the importance of those who walked along these streets.

A well respected Riverside native and award-winning writer, Susan Straight, looked around at her hometown and saw that many of the old buildings were burning down and being lost to development. She felt that the stories of those that have contributed to the uniqueness of this city must be told before the chronicles are gone forever.

These vanishing memories are being recovered and immortalized at the collaborative exhibit, “More Dreamers of the Golden Dream” at the Riverside Art Museum. Straight has collaborated with documentary photographer Douglas McCulloh, to expose the populace who has contributed to Riverside’s antiquity. Through overwhelming, large-scale black and white photographs printed on cloth alongside poetic words that express intimate details pertaining to the photos, the viewer is surrounded by the moment that was once passing but is now frozen in time indefinitely.

A photo of two young African American women, Rosie Morris and Alberta Morris Sims, was contributed to the exhibit by the Sims family. While the date is unknown, the sheer volume of the subjects’ hair gives it away—this photo breathes the ‘60s. Another exhibited portrait is of the old school jazz band Edgar Hayes and his Star Dusters. The enthusiastic energy of this quartet from San Bernardino is almost contagious—each of the four men is proudly posing with his instrument to forever leave a positive imprint in the musical minds of many.

Place yourself in front of McCulloh’s commanding image outside Riverside’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, and you’ll understand why this old church has been cherished by the Eastside Latino community since 1927. This photo of Tony and Sarah Lopez on Ash Wednesday evokes spiritual emotion. It was here that they were married over 70 years ago. Another photograph of this important day of faith uses the repetition of the ceiling boards to draw your eyes along the top of the print until your focus stops at the long cross held by an older gentleman—everyone appears to be deep in prayer.

There is also a collection of photographs highlighting Zacatecas Cafe—an important part of the Eastside since the 1970s. The old colorless images provided to this exhibit by the Medina Family contrast the modern contributions by McCulloh, demonstrating how simple changes are much more evident once compared after decades pass . . . the original hand-painted sign is now illuminating the otherwise dark street corner. Inside, the family atmosphere remains almost unchanged, although the new busy photo is dissimilar to the somber and beautiful photograph that depicted the inside of Zacatecas in the years before, which speaks of a once quiet cafe.

Through this vast collection, it’s important to recognize the brave travelers who came to this region with dreams of a bright future, because without their journey our beautiful region would have the cultural vibrancy present today. We must continue to memorialize imprints of our past before they’re lost forever.

“More Dreamers of the Golden Dream” at Riverside Art Museum, 3425 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, (951) 684-7111; www.riversideartmuseum.org. Thru July 25. Admission is $5.

Originally Published by IE Weekly on July 3, 2013: http://ieweekly.com/2013/07/arts/arts-feature/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words/