2013 DAY UNDER THE OAKS

YESTERDAY I WENT TO THIS FAIR WHERE THERE WERE ABOUT 100 VENDORS SELLING ALL TYPES OF NATIVE AMERICAN ITEMS, CD'S, DRUMS, FLUTES, MEXICAN ITEMS AND VARIOUS TYPES OF FRY BREAD AND WITH BEANS.  THE DAY WAS COOL AND THEIR WAS SOME RAIN
IN THE AIR.  IT FELT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUS HOT DAY.

I USED MY CELL PHONE TO TAKE MANY PICTURESOF THE MANY POMO DANCERS.  THE DANCERS INCLUDED SOME PART WAPPO AND MIXED POMO FOLKS.  MANY HAD VARIOUS TYPES OF TATTOES.  I HAD MET MANY OF THEM AT VARIOUS PLACES SUCH AS AT POINT R REYES AND ELEM AND ANDERSON MARSH.  I MET A 22 YEAR OLD AZTEC GAL FROM COLLEGE WHO WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BATIVES HERE SHE SAID SHE KNEW JUST A LITTLE AND IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THEIR MUST BE SO MUCH TO LEARN.  I TOLD HER OUR ENTIRE HOUSE HAD BEEN SOLD AND PART OF MY STORY.

I DESCRIBED HOW THE POMO COSTUMES WERE MADE OF TURKEY FEATHERS AT THE BOTTOM FOR A SHORT SKIRT AND THEIR HEADRESSES WERE MADE OF RED FLICKER FEATHER WITH SOME TURKEY FEATHERS.  THE MEN AND WOMEN WORE ABALONE JEWELRY THEY HAD OBTAINED FROM THE COAST OR TRADED WITH COAST MIWOK.  THE MEN LEADING THE DANCERS DRUMMED AND BEAT ELDERBERRY CLAPPERS FOR SEVERAL HOURS, SWITCHING DANCE GROUPS FROM MIDDLETOWN TO ELEM.
THEY DANCED IN BARE FEET AND AS THE DAY GREW ON IT GOT A LITTLE WARMER.

I LEARNED FROM SOME WAPPO THAT THERE WERE ONLY 300 WAPPO MIXED BLOOD NATIVES LEFT.  THEY HAVE A COUNCIL IN SANTA ROSA.  THE CAMPUS HAD MANY POLICE AND WHO KNOWS WHY.   ONE WAPPO ARTIST HAD EXPLAINED THAT HE DREW PENCIL PORTRAITS OF NATIVES VERY SIMILAR TO THE PHOTOS OF EDWARD CURTIS, WHOSE PHOTOS HE USED.  HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE MAKES ELDERBERRY STICL CLAPPERS.  THESE STIICKS MAK A RIVETING SOUND AND HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY USED FOR CENTURIES IF NOT PREHIOTORICALLY.  HE MAKES THEM BY CUTTING THE TREE SECTION ABOUT 1 FOOT LONG AND LETTING THEM DRY FOR ABOUT A YEAR.  THE USES A KNIFE TO FLAKE OFFTHE BARK.  HE CUTS THROUGH THE CENTER  OF THE STICK TO MAKE IT SPLIT IT OPEN AND CLOSED.  HE USES A WOOD BURNING TOOL TO CUT DESIGNS.  I REMET AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE.  I GUESS I SAW HER ABOUT 13 YEARS AGO.  HER BABY WAS NOW 25 AND SHE WAS PART WAPPO.  SHE HAD ASSISTED ME AT ANOTHER LOCATION WHERE I LEAD OUTDOOR HIKES FOR ADULT ED AT THE SRJC.  SHE SAID SHE STILL WASN'T WORKING!I TOLD HWER I WAS A NATIVE POMO CHEROKEE SHAMAN..  SHE WAS A RELATIVE OF THE LAST WAPPO ELDER WHO KNEW THEIR LANGUAGE.  HER DAUGHTER WAS THEIR SELLING HIP HOP CD'S AND MAGAZINES ABOUT THEIR CULTURE.  SHE SHOWED MY GROUP HOW TO MAKE ROPE FROM A RARE FIBER. 

SHE TOLD ME TO GET A TASTE OF THE ACORN SOUP THAT BEING MADE LIKE THE PREHISTORIC INDIANS MADE IT.  LUCY PARKER FROM YOSEMITE WAS WEAVING BASKETS AND HELPED MAKE A BASKET FULL OF BLACK OAK ACORN SOUP.  I GOT THE LAST SPOONFUL.  IT REALLY HA NO SPECIFIC TASTE.  IT REMINDED ME OF A MUSHROOM TYPE OF FLAVOR WITHOUT GRIT.  CHRISTI, MY FRIEND, SAID SHE PUTS BERRIES IN IT.  ACORNS ARE BELIEVED TO BE SPIRITUAL TO MOST CALIFORNIA NATIVES.

THE NEXT GROUP TO DANCE WERE AZTEC INDIANS WHO WERE BAREFOOT AND THEY HAD LARGE DEER FOOT NAILS AROUND THEIR ANKLES.  THE WOMEN WORE SKIRTS AND THE MEN HAD SHORTS ON.  THEY WERE MUCH MORE MUSCULAR THAN THE POMO.  AFTER THE HOUR LONG DANCE THEY EXPLAINED SOME OF THEM WERE RUNNERS.  THEIR HEADRESSES WERE MADE FROM BRIGHT COLORED PHASEANT FEATHERS. .THEY INVITED US TO DANCE ALONG WITH THEM.  THAT WAS FUN AS WE TWISTED AND WENT IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS.   .  THEY MENTIONED THAT COYOTE IS OUT THERE.   I ASKED THESE FOLKS ABOUT THE STICKS THEY WERE BURNING DURING THERE DANCE WHICH THEY DEDICATE TO THEIR ANCESTORS.  SHE SAID IT WAS FROM A CERTAIN TYPE OF TREE LIKE A PINE, AND THEY COLLECTED THE SAP.  IT IS CALLED COPAL.

ONE OF THE BASKETMAKERS WAS SUSAN BILLY WHO I HAD MET BEFORE IN UKIAH.  SHE DIDN'T REMEMBER ME AND SHE SAID SHE ONLY HALF POMO.  SHE WAS WEARING LIPSTICK AND HAD TOURQUISE AN A HOPI BRACELET ON.  SHE SAID SHE LIKED THE SOUTHWEST.  HER BOOTH WAS EXHIBITING SOME OF HER BASKETS.  WE TALKED ABOUT THE RESTAURANT AT THE NATIVE MUSEUM IN WASHIGTON D.C.  SHE SAID IT DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE NATIVE AMERICAN FOODS EITHER.

THE DANCERS DO DANCING AS PART OF HEALING RITUALS HERE IN CALIFORNIA AND IN MOST OF THE TRIBES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THESE 8 DANCERS ARE BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO AND ENJOY WHAT THEY ARE DOING.