I asked the Blog Staff to look into a country or culture of interest, to take us there, let us experience something of daily life that might not be our own. Penny takes us home. And, home for Penny and her ancestors is the Coachella Valley. If you’ve been hiking in the canyons to the south of Palm Springs, you may have visited Penny’s own “Andreas” Canyon.

Blog Advisor Zachik

By 7th-Grader Penny Andreas

The Coachella Valley has been around for quite awhile, along with its native tribes and cultures. One tribe specifically, the band of the Cahuilla Indians, has called the desert home for generations. I am native, and it’s important to keep our stories alive, along with our traditions. The Cahuilla natives have been around for thousands of years, but there are many different versions of how they ended up in the Andreas Canyon. One of them is told by Alejo Patencio, a tribal spiritual leader. It begins with two brothers Mukat and Temayawut, who were born by a swirling mass of color when the world started. At their birth, Mukat and Temayawut created all of the oceans, mountains, and the sky. 

Then, the two brothers made the first people. Mukat chose to create humans by carving black mud and carefully sculpting. Temayawut decided to use white mud, and hastily carve them. When they were both done, compared to Mukat’s, Temayawut’s looked  unrefined and rushed. After arguing about whose people were better, Temayawut decided to leave Mukat. So overall, Mukat is said to be the creator of the Cahuilla. This lesson and overall beginning shows that it is better to take time and not rush things. 

Bird Singing And Dancing

One thing that is extremely important in this tribe is its ceremonial Bird singing. Bird singing often tells the story of lessons that were learned about life, such as the origin and migration. Bird singers, when performing, will always have an instrument called a rattle. The Cahuilla bird singers have been using rattles for thousands of years, even before the Europeans came. Just as your fingerprint is yours individually, that’s what a rattle is like. Each one is completely different from the others. However, every rattle is made the same. The holder must pick out a squash or gourd from a vine, and then boil it in water for 20 minutes, and it is often filled with pebbles to keep the gourd or squash from floating above the water. After it has become hard and completely dried out, they fill it with seeds of spirit. The seeds come from places you love and value. For instance, my favorite place is Andreas canyon. (If I was a bird singer, I might put palm-tree seeds in my rattle.) From the seeds is where you get the steady beat of the rattle. When men tend to always sing, the women dance. Every bird dancer has their own bird dancing dress. They choose patterns and colors they think reflect themselves.

The Cahuilla Social System

I’ve grown up with Cahuilla teachings. To understand clearly the structure of the Cahuilla social system, I suggest you visit the Agua Calienta Band of Cahuilla Indians website. I’ve borrowed the following information from aguacaliente.org.

Moieties

The Cahuilla are divided into two groups known as Wildcat (tukat) and Coyote (Isil). These Moieties, based on native blood percentage, are believed to originate from when the Cahuilla first started, which guided marriage rules among people. Only one group can marry another member from their group.

Clans

Within each Moiety, the Cahuilla were set into clans, and it wasn’t until the 19th century when they started to work together. The present-day Agua Caliente is now made up of the three clans: Kauisik, Panik, and Wanakik. 

Lineages

Lineages are made up of extended families inside a clan, with a man leading each household. Every lineage had its own food gathering areas and village. 

Every culture in the world is important, and every culture has its own story. Every story even has its own lesson. I think it’s very important to share these stories and spread culture. I encourage you to spread your stories with the world!