Thursday, January 20, 2011

Our Word of the Year


Center Leaders Ernest and June Siva in the gathering-hall-to-be. © Pat Murkland Photo

The American Dialect Society, which has been celebrating and studying English language usage in North America since 1889, has chosen app, slang for computer application, as 2010 Word of the Year.

While app is the word for 2010, the Native American Serrano word ap has been around for countless years. Ap means there. Great word.

But we would have to say that our 2010 Word of the Year is ip.

Ip (pronounced eep) means here.
And 2010 was all about our ip, here
at the Center, Ahunika'.

Here's what happened in 2010:
• While we have a $2 million renovation plan for our building at the corner of San Gorgonio Avenue and Hays Street, we wanted to have a "meanwhile." So, we started sprucing up the building.

• The city had earmarked some facade grant money for us, and that helped fix the leaky roof and other problems.

Habitat for Humanity Hero © Pat Murkland Photo

• Habitat for Humanity volunteers worked hard, every week, to make the building ready for use. Four storefronts that were in disrepair are now connected and looking good! Restrooms are working! The Center really has a home ip.
Thank you, our hero volunteers!

• Leaders Ernest and June Siva also acquired the former Post Office building next door, for use as a gathering hall.

• Thanks to a $500,000 donation in 2010 from San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians the construction of the gathering hall has now begun. Once completed, it will be available for use by all community groups. We expect it will become an anchor in Banning's fledgling downtown Arts District.

• And we're already beginning to fill the spruced-up corner building with activities that save and share Southern California Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts.

Volunteer Chuck Flanagan surrounded by flute-makers at the Second Saturday.
© Pat Murkland Photo

Our first Second Saturday Sidewalk Storytelling Event was standing-room only. See you on Feb. 12 for Serrano Toys & Tools!

That's ip, here,
at Dorothy Ramon Learning Center.
The Center at San Gorgonio Ave. and Hays St., Banning, CA © Pat Murkland Photo

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