Bird singing and dancing at the 2024 Dragonfly Gala (Carlos Puma Photo)
Joyful Celebration
Our 2024 Dragonfly Gala was fabulous! More than 300 people joined the nonprofit Dorothy Ramon Learning Center at Morongo Community Center on Aug. 24, 2024, to honor Malki Museum, the first Native American-run museum on a reservation in the United States.
Thanks to the wisdom of Elders who wanted to save Native American cultural knowledge and share with Native AND non-Native people, Malki Museum is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year with a continuing legacy of profound cultural preservation and education.
Malki history exhibit at the Gala honored the Elders, singing, the Kéwet BBQs, and more. (Carlos Puma Photo)
Singing, Dancing, Stories … & Food
Remarks by Learning Center Vice President June Siva when she and her husband Ernest Siva, the Center President, gave the Dragonfly Award to Malki:
“Malki Museum is celebrating its 60th Anniversary. It was founded on the Morongo Reservation by Jane Pablo Penn, Katherine Siva Saubel, and anthropologist Lowell Bean (fondly known as Cahuilla Bean).
“From the beginning the museum was about saving and sharing (the motto of DRLC). The museum began in Jane Penn’s house. They collected artifacts, most were from their own collections and those of Margaret Pablo and Victoria Weirick.
“Although the museum was established in the 1950s, it opened officially in February 1965. It was dedicated in a traditional ceremony with nearly 1,000 Natives and non-natives attending. This support meant that there was not only a need for this museum, but also that it was meant to be a resource both for natives and non-natives. Before the museum opened officially, they had a “Fiesta” as it was known then. They invited neighboring tribes and the public to a enjoy day of singing and dancing, stories, exhibits, and food. There is a photo of the 1964 Fiesta on the Malki website.
“Ernest and I attended most of these Fiestas. Wherever we were living, the Malki Fiesta was always on our schedule. Ernest’s mom and aunt were always there along with so many more of the “old timers,” those who spoke the Native language as their first language and knew tribal culture and ceremonies. Their support was a sign that they supported the museum and its mission. Singers and dancers came from neighboring tribes and beyond. The Fiestas were great times of saving and sharing!
“The Fiestas continue to this day, now called Kéwet. Each year they continue to draw thousands to celebrate.
Honoring Malki-Ballena Press at the Dragonfly Gala (Carlos Puma Photo)
“Malki began an academic publishing press in 1965. Many books and other materials on Native American culture have been published, including the well-known, Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology.
“Malki Museum is the oldest non-profit museum founded by Native Americans on a California Indian Reservation. It was an inspiration for several other Indian museums. Malki was clearly an inspiration for us when we wanted to continue the work started by Ernest’s aunt Dorothy Ramon by forming a cultural center named for her.
“Malki Museum had a vision, and they started saving and sharing long before we had our vision for DRLC! For high-soaring achievement for 60 years and beyond, we are proud to present the 2024 Dragonfly Award to Malki Museum!”
Dorothy Ramon Learning Center leaders Ernest and June Siva award the Dragonfly Award to members of the board of directors of Malki Museum. (Carlos Puma Photo)
Dragonfly Gala Traditions
We’ve been offering the Dragonfly Gala since 2004 (with a year off during the pandemic) and we’ve all grown to love our gala traditions.
Our Native cultural displays and exhibits were embraced by the large crowd. Here, Lorene Sisquoc, a previous Dragonfly Award winner, shares weaving. Participants made a mini basket “to go.’ (Carlos Puma Photo)
Bird singing and dancing is always a treasured feature of the Dragonfly Gala. (Carlos Puma Photo)
The silent auction offered more than 100 must-have treasures. Thank you to all donors! (Carlos Puma photo)
Yum! Thank you to chef Willie Pink, to Roy Mathews Jr. for the BBQ (yes, the Mathews family has been serving the pit BBQ at Malki for 60 years), to Tom Long for the pies, and to Ernest Siva for offering his favorite doughnuts for dessert. Thank you to the crew from Morongo Cultural Heritage Department for all the help in the kitchen and with serving. (Pat Murkland Photo)
Visits with Friends Old and New
The gala always offers a chance to catch up and enjoy visiting. Thank you to our major Gala Sponsor, Morongo Band of Mission Indians, and thanks also for our venue, the tribal Morongo Community Center.
Enjoying a laugh together. (Carlos Puma photo)
Thank you to table sponsors: DRAGONFLY TABLE: Roselee Palacios;
Louis Martin, in memory of Sandra Martin (our beloved board member).
BIGHORN TABLE: Carolyn Horsman; Torres-Martinez;
California State University, San Bernardino.
DEER TABLE: Angelo Schunke, honoring Ernest and June Siva,
and Angelo Schunke (2); Olivia Briones; Morongo Go-Getters;
Ernest and June Siva, honoring Arlene Craft; Curtis Horsman;
Robert Martin, in memory of Sandra Martin.
Thanks to all volunteers, including: Carolyn Horsman, Tom Long, Pat Murkland, Rudy Rodriguez, Angelo Schunke, Ernest and June Siva, Gabriel and Lauren Silvas, Olivia Webb, Gail Wesson. A huge thanks to Morongo Cultural Heritage Department!
Thank you to Morongo Empowerment Program for the photo booth! And for sharing the stunning “Ernest t-shirts”!
And Remember …
Center leader Ernest Siva sings the Dragonfly Song to close the Dragonfly Gala. (Carlos Puma photo)
ALWAYS CALL THE DRAGONFLY. “The Dragonfly Song is a Serrano/Cahuilla lullaby. If you see a dragonfly hovering about and you sing this song, the dragonfly will either come to you, or stay away from you. It is a good sign if he comes to you, and not so good if he stays away. The teaching goes, if you are kind and have kind thoughts, he will come to you. Conversely, if you are troubled, nervous, angry, etc., he will leave your presence. The elders say, “Mehuun terrux!”, “Quiet your heart!” In other words, be calm and confident before proceeding with anything of importance.” — Ernest Siva, Voices of the Flute, 2004.
Thanks to YOU,
The 501c3 nonprofit Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, led by Elder Ernest Siva (Cahuilla-Serrano), since 2003 has saved and shared Southern California’s Native American cultures, languages, history, and music and other traditional arts.
As always, thanks for reading, sharing, and subscribing to News from Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, your FREE online newsletter. We welcome your ideas and contributions. PLEASE EMAIL Editor Pat Murkland. Aug. 29, 2024.