© Pat Murkland Photo
Ayaqaych or Mt. San Jacinto
Sacred Mountain
We know this peak today as Mt. San Jacinto, but it once was known as Ayaqaych.
Ayaqaych translates roughly from Serrano as Gathering Mountain, a place for the people of the First Cultures to gather plants for medicines, foods, and other uses.
The people also came here to learn their songs ...
from the mountain, according to Ernest Siva, Serrano/Cahuilla elder (and Dorothy Ramon Learning Center's leader).
The peak, one of the tallest in Southern California at 10,834 feet, was sacred to different Indian cultures for miles around.
Small wonder, then, that the region also features ancient rock art.
Rock Art in the Mountains
In our next Dragonfly Lecture on Sept. 28, rock art expert Steve Freers will explore this special region. He explains:
"I plan on sharing the distribution of various rock art motifs and styles within the Southern California region, with an emphasis of the Mt. San Jacinto region."
A New Look at Hand Prints
Prehistoric rock art often touches us with an emotional connection ... especially when we see hand prints left untold years ago on rock. Who were these artists?
Freers has some information to share:
"I will be showing some new research on hand prints that suggests the age and stature range of individuals who created the pictographs."
Freers will offer a lively and visual presentation.
Don't miss it!
Details:
6 p.m. Sept. 28
Dorothy Ramon Learning Center
17 W. Hays, Banning
Your donations at the door will help save and share Southern California cultures, languages, history, and music and other traditional arts.