Reflections in the Stream

A month has passed, and I had time to digest all I have leaned about Uncle Henry, and California Indian culture. Our California Literature class has been reading a book by Greg Sarris, a Pomo tribal leader, called "Grand Avenue". A persistent theme in the book are the connections some of the elders feel to their world - animals, plants and elements. Uncle Henry's stories also contain accounts of meetings with the mountain lion, coyote and crow, all within the framework of the high-desert country around the Palomar Mountain foothills. David Ross, and editor of Valley Roadrunner newspaper in Valley Center, California, generously agreed to let me post the 5-part interview with Uncle Henry in this blog. This link contains the entire story.

I am wrapping this post up with the picture of the Yellow-Footed Mountain frog, native to Palomar Mountain and Southern California. It is on a verge of being extinct, thanks to the encroachment of "civilization". Like sunlight in the water, the pristine environment, once venerated by its guardians, will soon be gone. Uncle Henry, and other elders, along with this frog, and our source of life - California water - are disappearing as well. Uncle Henry himself said that old ways and knowledge of the land are dying, and younger generation just does not care. Few young people, such as neighboring Pala Bird Singers, would disagree. Pala Tribe's younger generation is very proud of their language and traditions, passed to them by the elders.

"Have a very good day". This is what Uncle Henry said to everyone he met. I hope it is not too late, Uncle Henry. See you on the other side.

All Things Luiseno

In my further search for Uncle Henry's legacy, I came upon this incredible link, which has "all things Luiseno" links. In it, I discovered more information on Luiseno/Cahuilla legends, vocabulary, current history and even ethnobotany. Uncle Henry, no doubt, had a huge role in gathering of all the information on the website. According to my reporter friend, Uncle Henry Rodriguez has been actively participating in Luiseno language research project with Cal. State San Marcos and other local educational institutions since 1940. After coming back a decorated veteran from WWII, he continued to be active in inter-tribal politics, often angering various local tribes with his outspokedness. David Ross(reporter for Valley Roadrunner in Valley Center, California wrote that "the women said to the young people "he knows what he is doing, leave him alone"". Putting aside his anger at the injustices of the white people towards Native Californians, Uncle Henry tirelessly worked with everyone who wanted to preserve his heritage. He was elected Honorary Professor by Cal. State San Marcos, the first such title given to Native American in this state.

Growing Up on the Indian Land Grant

Uncle Henry's family lived on the Indian Land Grant property. This is where the U.S. Government allowed some Mission Indians to live. Many Luiseño's died during the time when Henry Rodgriguez was growing up, but his family remained intact. The article written by David Ross of the Valley Roadrunner newspaper in Valley Center, California, mentions that Uncle Henry's mother kept to the Native Indian traditions, growing food for the family and drying native herbs to be used to cooking and treatment of ailments. The family still used acorn grinding grounds near Cuca Ranch on Palomar Mountain, and, according to Henry - "never got sick". This woman below was most likely related to Henry and his band.
Delores Renterias sitting on the ground outside a house on Palomar mountain, winnowing acorn meal

Uncle Henry grew up amid still-alive lore and songs. He played with the eagle feathers in the wind, listened to the conversations of ravens, and learned to pay attention to even the smallest of the noises, signs or smells of the land. He revered his parents, and said that they were happy living on their property at the foot of the Palomar Mountain. It was still their land and the white people left them alone. In one of the interviews, Uncle Henry spoke of his mother, who passed away, but is now a guardian spirit of the mountain.

History of California and Native Indian Lore

Image via Wikipedia

While taking California Literature class in Los Medanos College, the first literature we studied were the poems and lore of First Native Californians. Much of the California Indian lore has been lost, but thanks to the few people, such as Pablo Tac, Sarah Winnemucca and Uncle Henry Rodrigues, we have first hand accounts of what the life of the California Indian people was like before others arrived, and began destroying the harmony that was a way of life for the Native People. I was lucky to be able to have access to my friend's website, where he interviewed Uncle Henry. There, I found out the real name of his band: "Pay-o-mac - the Western People." Palomar Mountain was sacred to all the bands of Pay-o-mac and each band had acorn grounds on it. The mountain, with its temperate climate(it has snow in the winter) provided the bands with the sanctuary from the scorching sun in the summer. The streams, still full of trout in the early 20th Century, provided food and a source of mineral and iron-rich pure water. I myself visited the acorn grounds at the Palomar, in the Spring, where the indentations left in the smooth rock by centuries of grinding, were filled with water, like small mirrors. It may sound corny, but I thought I heard the voices of people singing as they worked. Maybe it was the wind....

Uncle Henry's Kiss

I first learned about Uncle Henry Rodrigues through a friend who writes about Southern California Indian casino's. In my search for my Mescalero Apache father, I shared with him how much I would like to meet with any Native American elder who could show me the way to my father. "I know someone, and he is very easy to talk to" - said my writer-friend, David Ross. "Uncle Henry is a LaJolla (Luiseño) elder, and I recently interviewed him. He is a real medicine man. And what is so unusual about Uncle Henry is that he is willing to share information about Native American lore".

Uncle Henry Rodrigues

Uncle Henry was killed by a drunk driver one April morning, on the way out of the LaJolla reservation, in the foothills of Palomar Mountain. This is the best I can do now – learn about “Uncle” Henry and the legacy he left to the LaJolla tribe, the Luiseño’s and the world. "Here is a face of man who suffered much", I thought to myself when I finally saw his photo. Wisdom and sorrow are reflected in creases of many years. Uncle Henry ’s last wish was to have his ashes scattered over the San Luis Rey river, where he grew up as a young member of La Jolla Indian Tribe in Pauma Valley, in the foothills of San Bernardino Mountains.