Cal State San Bernardino and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation invite the university and surrounding community to celebrate California Indian culture, heritage and family during California Native American Day today, Friday, Sept. 26, from 6-9 p.m., next to the CSUSB Alumni Center.
California Native American Day is a day to honor California’s Indigenous people, an opportunity to learn about Native American culture, and a time for people of all cultures to reflect on and remember their traditions.
The celebration will feature traditional Northern California brush dancers, Southern California bird singers, a traditional Native American theater company performance featuring all-ages dance groups from Central and Northern California, food and demonstrations of traditional life ways and knowledge.
Free parking will be available in Lot D. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.
From Sept. 22-26, the university has been the venue for the annual California Indian Cultural Awareness Conference Student Field Trips. During the week-long field trip, 1,500 local students from San Bernardino and Riverside counties have visited CSUSB to learn firsthand from tribal members, elders, historians and academics about the culture, traditions and experiences of Southern California’s Native American Tribes.
Also, as part of the week, on Sept. 22, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation partnered with the university to host a gathering of local dignitaries, elected officials and education leaders to discuss the impact of curriculum and legislation centered around bringing greater recognition to the unique identities and issues that define the state’s First Peoples.
“California designated the fourth Friday of September in 1998 as California Native American Day to dismantle the misconceptions about California Indians,” according to the California Native American Day website. “Previously, students were led to believe California history began with the arrival of the first explorers and lacked a fundamental understanding of Native American’s existing society. Native populations across the country were seen as primitive and were too often associated with stereotypes like teepees and drums.
“Education in K-12 schools and community colleges has since evolved to entail the extensive history of the many tribal groups in California,” the website states. “We now have programs and conferences each year on California Native American Day to continue educating our communities.”
Visit the California Native American Day website for more information.