When Ernest and June Siva bought that building on the corner of Hays Street and San Gorgonio Avenue in 2007 for Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, they had vision. This old solid workhorse of a building with four storefronts was the first building built in Banning after World War II, and to say it needed some work in 2007 is an understatement.
The Sivas standing in front of the “new” Dorothy Ramon Learning Center building, 2007 (Pat Murkland Photo)
Years of hard work later, in recent years with Center board member Angelo Schunke at the helm, the building on the corner has been joined by the Center’s San Manuel Band of Serrano Indians Gathering Hall next door. These are not meant to be museums; they are places where Native cultures live and thrive. In 2023 both places continue to offer programs and events that serve you, and look forward to a continuing bright future.
Ernest Siva at the door of the Gathering Hall in 2022 (Pat Murkland Photo)
As the nonprofit Center celebrates its 20th anniversary of saving and sharing Southern California Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts, with plans to honor our co-founders Ernest and June Siva at our Dragonfly Gala on Aug. 12, 2023, here’s a quick look back at what Center President Ernest Siva wrote in 2007.
“Opening our eyes to a bright future”
By ERNEST H. SIVA (from Heritage Keepers: The newsletter of Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, Inc., December 2007, Volume 4, No. 4)
“Powva'arnk, hyeqam tum hiitii, a'ayetii peepamkw. Open their eyes, to see various things, a fine future. So says the sacred song of the Maarrenga'yam, the Morongo people. This was the wish and intent of Dorothy Ramon, who saw the need for a legacy of traditional knowledge for and of her people. We are often guided by the wisdom of the past and she felt the need to inform posterity, as only an elder can.
“By working with colleague Dr. Eric Elliott, she did what she believed to be the best way to help her people. That was to save by sharing the knowledge of her language, Maarrenga't, with anyone who was interested in knowing about it. Hopefully, her relatives would be prominent among these individuals. Dr. Elliott skillfully worked to record the language as she related her stories to him. We are indebted to both of them.
“Dorothy Ramon looked to her aunt Sarah Morongo Martin as an example of leadership. Ms. Martin had worked with several linguists in the 1950s through the early 1970s. This set a pattern for Dorothy to follow. It was not only just OK to share language and culture with a non-cultural member, but quite necessary to do so, for far-reaching practical reasons.
“Today [in 2007, still true in 2023] we use this philosophy to guide us. Dorothy Ramon Learning Center was founded because of this. We wanted to make sure the idea of preserving traditional knowledge and making it available for educational purposes would be realized. Beyond that, the knowledgeable cultural member will recall that Lamsa' (Francisco Morongo) left us with the adage that his songs (and language) were not his alone, but the Creator’s, and therefore, belonged to all of God’s children. This led to the practice of Cahuilla usage of Serrano songs. Sharing knowledge and culture was customary.
Ahunika'
“We are happy to have acquired a building in downtown Banning for the purpose of housing our Center … We have been told the City of Banning welcomes and supports our plans to establish the Center downtown. We intend to complement the various art endeavors in the area through the activities at our Center.
“The idea of a Center is fitting, historically. When I was a youngster growing up on the Morongo Reservation, we spoke of going to Ahunika', to the Center, when we meant Banning. Before the arrival of the Spanish and later, the American settlers, the Pass was home to the Pass Cahuilla and to the Serrano. They subsequently were displaced and were relegated to the present-day Morongo Reservation. Village sites in the Banning area were built over and are long forgotten. But we do have a record of some. Banning was a major stop for the stagecoach, Southern Pacific Railway, and others traveling through the Pass. The Indians were an important work force in building the railroad as well as working in the flourishing fruit industry. People living in Palm Springs, which was off the beaten path, would come to Banning to shop and get supplies.
“… By acquiring a building … we have taken a big step in the dream to become a useful center of activity serving the immediate community and eventually, all of Southern California as well. We celebrate! There are more steps ahead. Nachich Mih'! (Let’s Go!)
“We are opening our eyes to see many things pointing to a bright future. We believe the ancient song speaks to us today and is truly an ageless song.”
Dragonfly Gala on Aug. 12, 2023
We invite the community to celebrate the joy of the Learning Center’s 20th anniversary as we honor our beloved leaders, Elder Ernest Siva (Cahuilla-Serrano), our president, and his wife, June, our vice president, and their life work in saving and sharing Native American cultures, languages, history, and music and other traditional arts. We’ll have limited seating at Morongo Community Center on Morongo Reservation, so please make your reservation early.
Ernest and June Siva at the 2022 Dragonfly Gala (Carlos Puma Photo)
TABLES: $1,000, $2,000, $3,000; SPONSORSHIPS ALSO AVAILABLE.
Individual tickets, $60. PLEASE RSVP HERE.
Thank you!
And thanks from Center leaders Ernest and June Siva and Editor Pat Murkland for reading, liking, sharing, and subscribing to News from Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, your FREE weekly online newsletter. We welcome your EMAIL. June 1, 2023.
Nachich Mih'! (Let’s Go!)