Spring into spring! Sunday Concert

Note that our concert is a bit early this month, but just in time for spring. Your $10 helps our nonprofit save and share Southern California's Native American cultures, languages, history, and arts.

Learn about Yucca!

This Dragonfly Lecture is one not to miss.

About Daniel McCarthy: Daniel McCarthy received his BS and MS in anthropology from the University of California, Riverside.  For the past 40 years, he has worked at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree National Park, the western states and throughout Southern California, compiling photographic inventories of rock art sites.  He has worked with Elders and Traditional Practitioners for more than 35 years throughout Southern California. 

For 17 years he was Tribal Relations Program Manager for the San Bernardino National Forest and recently received the National Lifetime Achievement award by the Office of Tribal Relations. Currently he is Director of the Cultural Resources Management Department, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Research interests include desert archaeology, aboriginal trail systems of the Sonoran, Mojave, and Colorado deserts; rock art distribution, documentation, interpretation and working with tribal communities in public education of Native culture; and recording string figures.  

He conducts Southern California Native American cultural awareness classes, providing information about native plant uses (particularly agave, acorns, yucca, prickly pear cactus and pinyon), rock art, and material culture. He organized the annual Malki Museum Agave Harvest and Tasting, now more than two decades strong.  He was co-instructor in offering an Applied Archaeology field school for six years (2006-2011) and in 2013 where half the students were Native American from local tribes. He worked with several tribal governments (particularly Serrano, Cahuilla, and Luiseño), traditional practitioners and Native organizations such as the Southern California Indian Basket Weavers Organization, where he is currently vice president. He also is president of Malki Museum Board of Directors. And he is a cherished member of Chia Café, which incorporates Native foods into contemporary cuisine, such as at Dorothy Ramon Learning Center’s annual Dragonfly Gala.

Daniel has published several reports and articles, including, “Medicinal Plants Used by Native American Tribes in Southern California” with Donna Largo and Marcia Roper. 

Dorothy Ramon Learning Center awarded Daniel McCarthy our 2013 Dragonfly Award for high-soaring achievements in saving and sharing cultures.