Walking with pride: Tachi-Yokut Tribe hosts cultural celebration | Local News

While the sunny morning provided relief with a cool breeze, the crowd moved as a single unit spanning the width of 18th Avenue and Jersey Avenue along their journey.

Participants were greeted at Central Union Elementary with the smell of smoldering sage and bursts of excited conversation. Children ran around their families eager to start walking, and Tachi-Yokut tribal leaders began to gather everyone into a semicircle for a welcome message and blessing.

“We all come together every year,” said Robert Jeff, vice chairman of the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tribal Council. “It’s been going on for a long time, since I was a young kid. We usually gather here at the elementary school, and we’ll walk two miles down to our education and recreation center. … We all just come together as a community to celebrate everything that happened to us in the past, but really to come together to look at the future and understand that we’re a tribe. We’re a community.”

Jeff and Tribal Council Chairman Leo Sisco were excited to see the turn out of hundreds of people for the cultural event. The walk brought out not only tribal members, but several different groups in the community. From the Lemoore College men’s basketball team to those who choose to come out and participate in the event every year, every walk of life was represented by the group.

“We welcome all people, not just our Santa Rosa Rancheria community but all the outside communities as well, to come be a part of what we do and who we are, just to understand that we’re still here,” said Jeff. “We’re still surviving, and, you know, the struggle is still going on, but as long as we stay together, we’re going to be alright.”

Just before 9:30 a.m., Kenny Barrios prayed over and led the group in four songs. As soon as the last song, “The Travelling Song”, faded out the walk began. Following behind a Kings County fire engine with flashing lights, the mass of people moved across 18th Avenue like a wave as a drone flew overhead capturing the beginning of the journey.

Children and teenagers raced down the pavement on scooters, skateboards, and bikes, while their families trailed behind pushing strollers carrying sleeping babies. Local public safety personnel flanked the front and back to keep the walkers somewhat organized as they took up the entire roadway.

“I always feel good leading up to today, because we all come together, you know, the little ones get to be a part of the tribal leaders and just other community members that you don’t see for a while,” said Jeff. “Some of our community members might live off the reservation and outside of our community, but when we have these events, they all bring their families back.

“They all come. They all want to be a part of what we’re doing as a community here, because they want to make sure that their kids are involved in a lot of these spiritual, cultural events.”

Upon arriving at the Education and Recreation Center on Jersey Avenue, the youngest members of the group moved onto the playground while older participants flooded into the gymnasium to sit in the air conditioning and cool off.

The day of celebration continued well into the afternoon with cultural activities, music and performances. Interactive tables and rooms were set up to teach traditional hobbies like making beaded necklaces, basket weaving, Peyote stitching, weaving yarn belts, making elderflower tea bags, and Tachi Bingo.

The overall message of the day was unity and perseverance, and it offered an opportunity for the Tachi-Yokut Tribe to display their pride and educate people about their culture.

“Look around right now. Look around you,” said Jeff. “Look behind you, look in front of you. We’re all one now. We’re still here, we’re still surviving, we’re still a tribe, and we all come together for these events to show that.”