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....