In this powerful cultural memory, Dorothy Ramon (1909-2002) tells in the Native American Serrano language about witnessing shamans in ceremonial dance, singing, dancing, and then reporting what they had learned … about the future.
Her nephew Ernest Siva (Cahuilla-Serrano), president of Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, shares the Serrano story (at conversation speed) in this video:
Here’s the translation:
How People Danced
By Dorothy Ramon1
Herheermim 'uviht 'imim tuhtu'qam 'aam maani'chi' waha' puuyu' tum hiitim tuhtu'qam Taaqtav: 'uvya' puuyum qac.
Long ago before the shamans would dance the maanich dance or any other kind of traditional Serrano dance, the people would assemble.
Cherrupkcu' hiit, aaa: paxa' werrawerra'n teemkw 'amatunga' tum hiiti'.
He, uuh, would come in: the paxaa' ceremonial official would first make a speech. (Mrs. Ramón's father was a paxaa'.)
Tum hiiti' teer. He would talk about things.
Puuyu' tum hiiti' werra'nivan 'amatunga'.
He would explain everything.
'Ayee' pëi’kin 'uvya' naacu'ow 'awerrafka'.
Then he'd blow air when he was through speaking (to send his words to heaven).
Paahif pëi'kin tukupka'.
He would blow three times up to heaven.
'Ayee' 'empkcu' pana' nyaawnk 'apya' 'ayee'.
And then he would finish doing that.
‘His Back-Up Singers’
'Api'u'mu' 'ayee' pëi'cu' 'aam.
And then they would start.
Herheermim tuhtu'qam. The shamans would go to dance.
Hami' 'ivi' 'ama' heermc herck tuhtu'qa'.
One of the shamans would get up to dance.
'Anyuy wihay 'ashee'ef puuyu' tum hiiti'.
He would put his regalia on his head.
Maha'ti' 'anyuy 'amaav yaanam waha'.
He would also hold feathers in his hands.
'Ayee' 'acaay 'u' chaacu'qa'.
And then he would start singing his own song.
Not only the Serrano danced this way. Although this copy of a photograph from a Jan. 22, 1953, Banning Record newspaper article is difficult to read, a man holding feathers and wearing a headdress can be seen dancing in what is described as “an old photograph which belongs to Mrs. Jane Penn, of a war dance which was done several years ago by the members of the Wanakick tribe at a festive gathering.” Jane Penn, co-founder of the Malki Museum, was the daughter of Wanakik Cahuilla medicine man Will Pablo on Morongo Reservation. Family members were Wanakik Cahuilla ceremonial leaders Yginio Gabriel (her grand-uncle) and Pablo Gabriel (grandfather).
'Api'a'mu' qac wecerham chaacu'qam waha' 'amay.
There were also other men there to sing it (the song).
'Ayee'm 'ervra'nin 'amay.
They were his back-up singers.
Chaacu'aym 'ayee' 'acewva'.
Then they would sing with him.
'Ayee' tuhtu'ow terva'ci' chingi'kin.
Then he'd dance, stomping the ground with his feet.
Paxa'vu' hã', hã' key tuhtu'i'am terva'ci' chingi'kinow.
The paxaa' official would say hã', hã' as they stomped their feet on the ground.
'Ayee' 'uvya' 'empkc 'atuhtu', 'acah, 'aheermcya'.
Then his songs and dances would end (he sings two to four songs), after dancing the ‘witch' dance.
'Ami' 'ayee' pukay 'acaay. Then he would end his song.
Predicting the Future
'Api'a' werra'werra'n namëi'ka' taaqtam.
And then he would report to the people.
Xhiit peyika' werra'n 'akupyanu'.
Something spoke to him from heaven.
Kwan teer tum hiit hamya'qac 'apenkci'.
He told about what might happen.
'Apamkw teer. He predicted the future.
'Ama' mumpk pena' hake'cu' tengek, 'ahaka' 'ama' heermc, xhiit 'ateerha' 'ayee' papa'yu' 'akupyanu'.
What the shaman had predicted would really come to pass, what information he received from heaven.
Pana'mu' nyihnyi' herheermim.
That's how the shamans would do it.
‘Others Would Eat Fire’
In this often-shared photo from the 1965 opening of Malki Museum on Morongo Reservation near Banning, CA, Cahuilla shaman Salvador Lopez eats fire. (Photo courtesy of Malki Museum)
Pana' tuhtu' huwac hehewa'i' peenyihnya' waha'.
They would also dance other ways.
Huwamim kutay qwa'i'. Others would eat fire.
Pana' qac puuyu' peerhermi' hehewa'i' huwam 'im.
They all had a particular shamanistic talent.
Kweeckenukim tuhtu' 'ayee' huwam herheermim.
The other shamans would get up and dance.
'Apya' 'ayee' 'aam herheermim puuyum tuhtu' pana' nyaawnk.
And then all the shamans would dance like that.
Puuyum 'empkin peenyuy peerhermi' 'uvya' peetuhtu'ay.
They would all finish their acts of shamanism and their dances.
‘Ayee' 'aamem 'ap 'ayee' kweeck, 'aam tuhtu'qam maanim.
And then all the maanich dancers would stand up. (White people call this the ‘war dance,’ but this is the maanich dance in Serrano and has nothing to do with war.)
Pana' 'anyu' puyuuhan qac 'ashee'eva' tum hiit 'awirra' 'ashee'ev, mahat 'anyu'.
And then they would put those feathers on their head.
'Ama' chaacu' 'awerrafp: 'awerrafktti' 'acaav chaacu' pemeka'.
He would sing to them in his language, he would sing his words in his song.
'Ayee' chaacu'aym, 'ervra'naym 'ayee'. They sang with him to back him up.
'Ayee' puuyum huwam kweeck tuhtu'qam waha'. Everyone stood up to dance.
Wecerham, tum haym mermerher' wuuwerham kweeck.
Men, all kinds of people, would stand up.
'Aam xhaym 'enan 'ivi' hamya'qac peetuhtwikci'.
The others know how to dance.
'Ama' maanich puchu' 'ama' tuhtwich.
That maanich dance is pretty difficult.
Hakupim puuyu' 'enan hamya'qac tuhtu'qam 'amay tuhtwi'chi'.
They really had to know how to dance that dance.
'Ayee' 'uvyam 'ervra'cu'aym pana' nyaawnk.
Then they would pick up speed.
Puchukaym tuhtu'cu'.
They would dance faster and faster.
'Ayee'm wêha'q chevêk wirrapkinaqam.
And then they would go around before stopping (in the song they use the archaic words wihay wihayuu).
‘Make Your Voice Strong’
‘Muhiikay tumnyaarrow, wihayuu, wihayuu',’ key ki’ peychav.
Make your voice strong as you go around (archaic words to song), it says in their songs.
'Aammu' wirrarra'n. They would go around in circles.
Peehikim qwarr'kin. They would raise their voices.
Peenyuy peehiki' qwarr'kinaym. They would make noise with their voices.
Peehikim qwarr'kin. They would raise their voices.
Tuhtu'i'am yenge'kow mit hinyiki' puchukim tuhtu'.
They would dance hard for I don't know how long (estimated for at least 30 minutes).
'Ami'… peychay wirrapkinaqam 'ayee', peetupka' hunuk.
And then… when they were about to end their song, they would move backwards (saying hwii).
'Ayee' 'uvya' wirrapkinaqam peetuhtu'ay peychaym 'uvya' puka'qam 'ayee'.
Then when they were about to stop dancing, they would end their song ...
A Strong Voice
Thanks to Dorothy Ramon and other Serrano Elders, including our own Center president, Ernest Siva, the Serrano language is not '“extinct,” as some claim, but instead is being revitalized. This work includes thriving programs at San Manuel and Morongo reservations. Thank you to the Press-Enterprise and Los Angeles Times newspapers for sharing the work of Ernest Siva and Dorothy Ramon Learning Center:
The Los Angeles Times, Nov. 25, 2021: The Indigenous Serrano language was all but gone. This man is resurrecting it
The Press-Enterprise and sister newspapers, Nov. 19, 2021: Morongo Elder dedicated to ‘saving and sharing’ cultures nearly lost
Join Dorothy Ramon Learning Center in saving and sharing Southern California’s Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts:
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Read, share, subscribe to News from Dorothy Ramon Learning Center. It’s free. Send your feedback and ideas: EMAIL. Thank you from Editor Pat Murkland, December 1, 2021.
Ramon, Dorothy, and Eric Elliott, 2000, Wayta’ Yawa’: Always Believe. Malki Museum Press, Banning, California, pp. 115-119, selection from “How People Danced,” Reading 97.