Native Americans celebrate an ancient and magnificent culture

Abel Silvas is a comedian with a lot of responsibility. Running Grunion, his alter ego, carries the weight of his People on his shoulders.

Silvas was a featured performer at the 22nd Annual American Indian Culture Days in Balboa Park. The Southwestern College alum was part of two days of gourd dancing, arts and crafts booths, frybread and Indian tacos in celebration of the People who brought humanity to North America.

Children as young as two were dressed head to toe in traditional Native American clothing. Host drums, the group honored with the responsibility for providing percussive yet spiritual music, was handled by the Red Warrior Singers and the Red Hand Singers. Colorful dancers from the length and breadth of North America were there with bells on, not to mention feathers even a peacock would envy.

Dazzling Native American jewelry was on display by traveling artisans. Gil Reyes of the Gold Drop jewelry stores in Redlands, Beaumont and Riverside said the vendors become friends after a while, almost family. Reyes said he has been following the circuit for about 15 years, but has only been a part of the San Diego event for the past two. Although Reyes is of Mexican descent he says "I assume there's some Indian blood in there somewhere, it just got lost."

Diane Pfeifer of Lemon Grove has attended Culture Days for the past two years.
"I just came to see the dancers really," she said. "Loved the costumes, it's worth the trip. It's still fun to come and see them in their Native costumes. It's excellent, the costumes are dynamite."

Garrick Yazzie, 22, of the Navajo People of Arizona, was one of those dancers. Wearing an inter-tribal dress originally from the Plains of Oklahoma, Yazzie was part of the Grass Dance. Originally, the job of the grass dancers was to go ahead of the tribe and flatten out the arena before a pow wow. Yazzie also preformed in a traditional war dance in which after praying, a fellow tribe member was dressed in traditional dress and then shown how to dance. After being taught the steps, the man was then able to lead the dance in the arena.

"I'm helping another brother of my tribe become a little more protective of our spiritual side," said Yazzie. "We give him armor for his mental thoughts."

Silvas, a local Native American story teller of the Diegueño, Juaneño and Gabrieliño Tribes, is very protective of his spiritual side and has become one of America's most important Native American activists. He performed as Running Grunion, a character he created to tell of the history of West Coast Native Americans starting in 1769. Using comedy, acting, dance and mime, Silvas has been performing his one-man show for two decades. More than trying to entertain, Silvas said he is there to educate.

Silvas led the different and emotional campaign to mark the graves of Kumeyaay People that were built over by early Spanish Mexican and American settlers who constructed Old Town. Coaster-sized bronze markers in the park, sidewalks and streets mark the burial places of California's original residents.

"I believe the public is unaware of our Native American history in San Diego," said Silvas. "The California history between 1769-1850 is very important. Once the people of San Diego study that time period they will understand our history."

American Indian Culture Days was organized by the Indian Human Resource Center, San Diego Unified School District Indian Education Program, Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Southern California American Indian Resource Center.