Flutes At the Center

We had a standing-room-only crowd at our new Second Saturdays event.

Participants weren't just standing, though ...

They were making flutes with Antonio Flores.

Thank you all for coming and helping save and share Southern California's American Indian cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts.

Read about the flute-making event — and why it's important to Banning's downtown — here.

Fun With Flutes this Saturday!

All Photos by Pat Murkland

He comes with a pile of sticks.

But once Antonio Flores sets up a table and tools, a crowd appears.

People of all ages transform the sticks into handmade flutes, each with its own melodic voice.

By popular request, flute-maker Antonio Flores will return to Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, at the corner of Hays Street and San Gorgonio Avenue, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 8, to teach people how to make and play their own Native American wooden flutes.

Flores, a volunteer, drives from his Oakland home to the nonprofit Center in downtown Banning.

Making and sharing the small, wooden Pomo-style flutes is his joy.

During his most recent visit at the downtown Phineas Festival in November, nearly 100 sticks of elder wood became flutes, custom made to fit each player’s hand.

Flores also teaches the flute-makers how to play their flutes, often adding stories or a little music from local Native American cultures.

Second Saturdays

His free flute-making session is part of “Fun With Flutes,” this month’s theme for a new family event called Second Saturday Sidewalk Storytelling. Every second Saturday, the nonprofit Learning Center plans to host hands-on activities, storytelling and traditional singing that help save and share Southern California’s American Indian cultures, languages, history, and music and other traditional arts.

Along with free flute-making, “Fun With Flutes” will feature stories and songs from Learning Center leader Ernest Siva, a Cahuilla-Serrano culture bearer, and others.

Future Second Saturday Sidewalk Storytelling events at the Learning Center include:

• Serrano Toys and Tools, Feb. 12, from 1-4 p.m. Families can learn about Serrano toys and tools and make some of their own to take home. Co-hosted by the San Bernardino County Museum. FREE.

* True Cowboy and Indian Tales, March 12, from 1-4 p.m. People will learn real stories from the Pass and can try their hands at some traditional cowboy and Indian skills. FREE.

What would you like to see at a second Saturday? Let us know.

Come join the fun. Share the stories. Sing the songs.

Greetings

© Pat Murkland

Aya Qaych (Gathering Mountain in Serrano)

Also known as Mt. San Jacinto

"This is where our people would go to gather and process food and medicine. People of spiritual power would also go there to learn their songs [from the mountain]."

— Ernest Siva, Voices of the Flute

(Ushkana Press, 2004)

There is so much to learn from the world.

There is so much for the Elders to teach us.

We thank the Elders for making our world a better place: for singing the songs, telling the stories, and for speaking in the voices of our Native American cultures — the Native languages.

As Dorothy Ramon Learning Center approaches 2011, we're ready to leap into that new year and continue to save and share Southern California's Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts with you.

Hope you can join us!

Merry, Merry

Pat Murkland Photo

Our leader, Ernest H. Siva, has been visiting the new Morongo Reservation School and sharing culture, language, history, and traditional arts with the schoolchildren.

He received this beautiful thank-you giant card and framed artwork from the second-grade class of Mrs. Alaniz and Ms. Marsha.

It was his turn to say: Hakupa' ay! (Thank you!)

The card has references to the visits:

Maharch (The number five, from counting fun)

Respected

Serrano language

Indian day

Very kind

Aya Qaych (the Serrano name for Mt. San Jacinto)

And the artwork features illustrations of the visits, too:

Here he is, singing and playing his gourd rattle.

And here he is, playing the flute, with a little traditional music on the right, too.

What joy! These are our future cultural stewards.

Someday, someone may be doing artwork of them singing, saving and sharing these cultural stories and songs.

Lowell Bean on Monday

We are honored to have Lowell Bean for our next Dragonfly Lecture on Monday, Dec. 6.

Dr. Bean is renowned as an eminent scholar.

He has been working with the Cahuilla people for more than 40 years.

He includes the voices of the people and their traditional knowledge.

Ethnography, anthropology, history, research: His pioneering work began when he was a graduate student; that work continues today for the now-retired university professor.

Dr. Bean plans to discuss unpublished animal stories that he began collecting in the 1960s.

DETAILS:

WHEN: 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6

WHERE: Dorothy Ramon Learning Center,

17 W. Hays, Banning, CA

Donations at the door help the nonprofit Dorothy Ramon Learning Center save and share Southern California's Native American cultures, languages, history, and traditional arts.

Flutes at the Festival

© Pat Murkland
A beautiful day in Banning, views of the snow-covered mountaintops, and a downtown holiday festival with lots of free fun for families.

What could be more perfect?

Answer: Antonio Flores teaching people of all ages how to make and play flutes.

Antonio Flores left Oakland at midnight to come and volunteer all day at Dorothy Ramon Learning Center. Making and sharing flutes is his joy.

We thank Antonio Flores for creating joy for so many when he helps people discover Native American cultures and music.

He teaches how to make the small Pomo-style flutes of elder.

He also teaches how to play them.

© Pat Murkland

While the future flutists are making their flutes, he often talks about local flutes and Southern California music. Often, an enthused crowd surrounds him.

When each person has made his or her flute, Antonio Flores often "tests" it, that is, he plays it, "to make sure it works."

What was only recently a stick from an elderberry bush bursts forth with beautiful music. Each flute has its own voice — two voices, really, since one can play it at both ends.

Antonio Flores came to the Phineas Festival with a bunch of long sticks and cut branches.

Nearly 100 people left the festival with their own handmade flutes.

See you Nov. 27

We had big plans for the Phineas Festival of Lights in downtown Banning.

But the weather had bigger plans: Rain.

Organizers have postponed this event until Saturday, Nov. 27.

So come Discover the Center next weekend.

Here are some fun activities we're planning...

ALL FREE:

MAKE AND TAKE FLUTES.

Antonio Flores returns!

Larry Parks Photo

Our good friend from Oakland loves teaching people how to make Pomo-style flutes.

And how to play them.

The wood is elder.

Each flute has its own voice.

The one you make is fitted just for you.

Whenever Antonio Flores appears,

a crowd soon gathers.

Long after an event ends, there is often still a crowd of flute-makers.

Read about one of Antonio's previous visits HERE.

More ...

FLUTE MUSIC at our OPEN HOUSE

Discover the Center and join the excitement.

We'll have refreshments and flute music.

Still more ...

MEET THE DRAGONFLIES

Find out why we have dragonflies on our doors.

Make dragonflies.

Learn the Dragonfly Song.

See you on Nov. 27.

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The festival will offer snow, arts and crafts, firetruck rides, and much more. Read about it here. (But remember the new date is Nov. 27.)