AT THE MENDOCINO COLLEGE soccer field, surrounded by the backdrop of rolling mountains and vibrant trees, a few hundred community members came out to attend the California Indian Heritage Celebration, which was held to honor the culture and traditions of local Native American tribes.
Organized by Mendocino College’s Native American Student Success and Support Program and its events committee, the event in Ukiah last Thursday featured food and drink vendors, Native American jewelry and art for sale, and traditional tribal dances for attendees to enjoy.
In the food and beverage section of the event, Mendocino County-based vendors such as Turtle Island Tacos served plates of fry bread, a dough bread traditionally deep-fried in oil, shortening or lard. Turtle Island Tacos, a local pop-up vendor, is owned by Tasha Jarshaw, who launched the business in 2019.
Turtle Island Tacos cooks up variations of fry bread, from savory and salty to sweet. At the celebration, the pop-up served bread topped with taco-style beef, cheese, vegetables and hot sauce. For dessert, there was lemon curd fry bread that sort of resembled an inside-out jelly donut.
“All over the continent, all of the tribes have different versions of fry bread,” Jarshaw said. “The reason I named this Turtle Island is because that covers the whole North American continent.”
Over on the green grass of the soccer field, where tribal members sold handmade jewelry, art and other charms, dancers performed traditional Native American dances in the center of the field, adorned in ceremonial outfits. A tribal member recited a prayer before the dances, giving thanks for the land and its gifts.
In the corner of the field, where vendors and nonprofit organizations set up tables, sisters Lydia and Gloria Carretero sold earrings, necklaces and other crafts under their company’s name, Native Bling.
The Carretero sisters are from the Pinoleville Pomo Nation, a branch of the larger group known as Pomo, a generalized label given to Northern California tribes.
Even though they are eager to learn about their tribe’s culture, the sisters said they haven’t been able to learn much of their tribal language, which they noted is a specific dialect of Pomo. Lydia said her grandma knew the language but was never able to pass it on to her.
“I didn’t know she spoke it until I was about 19 years old,” Lydia said.
She explained that her grandma had been forced to attend an Indian boarding school and assimilate by speaking only English. By the time Lydia wanted to learn the language, her grandma didn’t feel comfortable passing it on to the new generation.
“Our grandma wouldn’t share the language with us. She quit speaking it because she was punished for trying to speak it,” Gloria said.
Even so, the sisters hope to learn their language in the near future. They said teachers in Mendocino County are offering Pomo language classes, which gives them hope that their culture is being preserved.
For Kyle Whiterock, a retention specialist with Mendocino College’s Native American Student Success and Support Program and one of the lead organizers of the celebration, it was satisfying to see so many people enjoying themselves and celebrating their culture.
“Everyone loved the dance groups that were going on,” Whiterock said. “I had about five people tell me how much they enjoyed the event and that it was very fun. It was a success on our end trying to give back to the community.”
