By Pat Murkland
This Sunday, May 28, Memorial Day Weekend 2023, is time again for the annual Kéwet or Fiesta at the Malki Museum on Morongo Reservation. Here are a few special memories from more than a half-century of Kéwet celebrations at the Malki, believed to be the oldest Native-run nonprofit museum on a reservation in the United States.
58 years ago (1965)
The Malki Museum officially opened in 1965, and Clifford Mathews soon became nicknamed “Malki master chef” for his “Indian style pit-roasted barbecue beef” served at fund-raisers, including at the first Malki Fiesta in 1965. New generations of Mathews family members have continued the BBQ tradition throughout the years.
From an early postcard of Malki Museum. The museum came together with determination and perseverance.
56 years ago (1967)
By Malki Museum, 1967 flyer
A typewritten flyer in 1967 announced: “Indians on the board of directors include:
Jane Penn [A Morongo tribal leader and Malki Museum co-founder, relative of the great Wanakik Cahuilla leader Yginio Gabriel, and daughter of Cahuilla puul or medicine man Will Pablo],
Mr. and Mrs. Mariano [Katherine] Saubel [He was a Cahillua culture bearer and she was a Los Coyotes Reservation tribal leader and Cahuilla culture bearer, a Malki co-founder who remained president for many years],
Madeline Ball [Morongo leader and social worker],
Ted Toro [Torres-Martinez tribal leader and Cahuilla culture bearer], and,
Anthony Andreas [Agua Caliente Reservation tribal leader, singer, and Cahuilla culture bearer].”
55 years ago (1968)
By Malki Museum, October 1968 Malki Museum Newsletter
“The museum association board has decided to return to the Memorial Day date, May 31, for its 1969 fiesta.”
Honoring veterans has been important to the celebration for many years. (June Siva Photo, 2000, from the Malki News newsletter)
51 years ago (1972)
By Malki Museum, September-October 1972 Malki Museum Newsletter
“MATT PABLO ELECTED FIESTA CHAIRMAN —
Matt Pablo of Morongo Reservation, longtime Malki Museum worker [and Cahuilla Culture Bearer and Singer], has been elected general chairman of the 1973 Malki Museum annual Memorial Day Fiesta. Assisting Mr. Pablo will be Mariano Saubel, who has led Malki’s successful fiestas for the past two years. The rest of the staunch fiesta crew are standing by to assist Matt in every possible way.”
49 years ago (1974)
By Malki Museum, December 1974-January 1975 Malki Museum Newsletter
“Joseph Patencio, one of the first people to become an honorary lifetime member of Malki Museum Association, passed away on December 31, 1974, after a long illness.
“A native of Palm Springs and a well-known member of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation, Mr. Patencio is the last of the ceremonial singers of the Agua Caliente Band of Indians. … He led the bird songs at all of the Malki Museum’s Annual Fiestas, a joy to the crowds who were privileged to hear him.”
The singing continued:
28 years ago (1995)
Written by Alice Kotzen, as editor of the Malki Matters spring 1995 newsletter:
“For the thirtieth consecutive year the Malki Museum celebrates the Sunday of the Memorial Day weekend with a special Fiesta. Thirty years ago [1965], when Malki first initiated this custom the founders of the museum were actually resurrecting an old Cahuilla tradition, the Fiesta system with its social gathering for dancing, games and networking. In the past it had been an important aspect of Cahuilla political, economic, social, and family life. Each group hosted a fiesta, bringing people together from a large and diverse area. Food and goods were exchanged and bought and sold, marriages arranged and all manner of networking carried out.
“At the Malki Fiesta the ancient songs are sung and the dances danced that are part of the Cahuilla culture. People from other reservations come to join the Cahuilla in playing the complex, ancient game of peon. … The ever-popular Indian-style pit-barbecue will be on sale as well as many other familiar foods …”
28 years ago (1995)
Written by Alice Kotzen, as editor of the Malki Matters summer 1995 newsletter:
“The 30th annual Fiesta was a great success with many firsts: Alvino Siva had been teaching a group of children from the Morongo and Torres-Martinez reservations some of the old dances. Their first performance was at the Fiesta and they were a great success. Then there was Ernest Siva honoring his aunt, Dorothy Ramon, in the traditional manner by presenting her with a blanket and a pouch of tobacco at a celebration. The blanket is to keep her warm while the tobacco, or piifth is customarily given to an elder as a token of respect.
“Mr. Siva said, ‘She is our nuyur, or young aunt, and also our elder on my mother’s side of the family, the last pure speaker of Maringat, the Serrano language. Her clan is Mohaetniym-Maringam, which was Pete Ramon’s clan. He married Nancy Morongo who was a Maringam-Hithith.’
“Mr. Siva then went on to play the traditional flute before telling stories associated with the bird songs.”
From the Malki Matters summer 1995 newsletter, photograph by Alice Kotzen. She later gifted this photo of Ernest Siva and Dorothy Ramon to Ernest Siva. In later years, Ernest Siva was inspired after Dorothy Ramon’s passing to found the nonprofit Dorothy Ramon Learning Center in 2003, to carry on her work of saving and sharing the Serrano language and culture, and to expand to include saving and sharing all Southern California Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts. He named the Center after Dorothy Ramon because she symbolizes those Elders, brought up knowing their language and culture, who are willing to share this knowledge.
27 years ago (1996)
Written by Alice Kotzen, as editor of the Malki Matters summer 1996 newsletter:
“At ten o’clock, Alvino Siva, dressed in his Army uniform, raised the flag while Bill Chezem played taps and members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Banning Post 4417, presented arms.”
[The late Cahuilla Elder and Singer Alvino Siva served in World War II and the Korean conflict.]
23 years ago (2000)
Written by June Siva as editor of the Malki News summer 2000 newsletter:
“The Malki Fiesta 2000 was a great success! Thanks to all who made it possible and all who attended and enjoyed it. For those who got there early, the flag-raising ceremony is always moving. Veterans participated and, once again, we were glad to see Navajo Code Talker Joe Morris among them. Malki President Katherine Saubel led the pledge of allegiance and Ernest Siva sang flag-raising songs.
Flag-raising ceremony in 2000 (June Siva Photo).
“Master of ceremonies, Paul Apodaca, kept everything running smoothly and did his usual great job,” the 2000 report continued. “Bird singers from the Mojave as well as locals Biff Andreas and Robert Levi and their groups sang and danced. The Aztec singers and dance group, Xipe Topec, were excellent as usual … Morongo’s Cynthia Fawn Elk sang. Vendors sold jewelry, ribbon shirts, flutes and many other wonderful things. … Of course there was food, fry bread was abundant. The Barbecue was especially good this year, and we thank the Martins for donating the beef.
“All in all, it was a wonderful way to honor our veterans and commemorate Memorial Day.”
And so it continues (2023)
Thank you!
Thanks to those Elders who shared, so the next generations could share with the next. Thanks to the Malki Museum for your amazing leadership, and also your inspiration and support of the nonprofit Dorothy Ramon Learning Center led by Ernest Siva (Cahuilla-Serrano), now in our 20th year of saving and sharing Southern California Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts.
Thank you from Center leaders Ernest and June Siva and Editor Pat Murkland for reading along with News from Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, your FREE online weekly newsletter. We welcome your EMAIL. May 24, 2023.