Gatherings of our Bird Dance would never be by Invitation

In our Native American distant past... Gatherings of our Bird Dance would never be by Invitation...you just were expected to Arrive... Show up to Sing, Dance and share with one another. But there were influences both good and bad that changed the direction of our traditions... but even then our Bird Dance has managed to continue through these changes.

Now once again, Traditional Bird Dance has another influence that threatens it's existence... it's called, Public Performances.

It's places where our time is limited to share or just participate in the Bird Dance. Only Few get invited to perform limiting even more people and it is becoming the way of Life for those who Live for the performance arena... It's possibly the only way they know the way birds has been shared, I myself have this view.

BUT...learning to evolve with everything intact so we can continue to learn and go on to pass down that knowledge has to be the new way to be.
We Cannot let our ancient teachings disappear for our people because of lack of traditional gatherings to learn at where learning can be unlimited by the public Arena.

 But it does not have to be that way...

There can be traditional Bird Dance... where everyone is invited to come and join in. There can be an "All Nighter" again where all the songs can be sung.

 There can be a place where all the men and women can dance the way they want. There can be most importantly a place where young people can learn this old way... It's possible, if "WE" all want it bad enough...

Because together we can make anything happen.

Thanks Lala Andreas for visiting with pictures and sharing your Dad's (Anthony "Biff" Andreas Jr.) stories he wanted us all to know... and Traditional Bird Dance history!

 We Are Birds

Taken from the; We Are Birds Documentary Companion Book

An Insert of text from the "WE ARE BIRDS COMPANION BOOK by; Dr. Larisa Broyles Chacon, and Albert Chacon

...I find nothing more satisfying that seeing somebody “get it correct” about us. That all has to do with how willing we are to share ourselves and our knowledge, openly and accurately. If we do not tell our own story, then we run the risk that others will – and, as they have done in the past - define us incorrectly, or in a manner that is simplistic or stereotypical.

Our ancestors passed on what we know today and we are aware that this knowledge we have is but a piece of what they knew. We can rightly feel sad and a sense of loss over what has been forgotten to the past. But because of this, we owe it to them to keep what we have left and that is why we are doing the “We Are Birds” project, so that all of you can help to tell this story correctly, as you know it, and so that it can be preserved and passed along for those who come after. I know that you have pride in your culture and I try to capture that in my photos and videos. There is such beauty and power in our people that I see and want to preserve, not just for ourselves, but also to show everyone else that what they think they know about Native peoples is, at best, incomplete. Let’s work together to show people what we are really all about. Your words mean something. Your words ARE history, and so is your singing, your dancing, and all that you do in your cultural life. Let people know the full story, as YOUR family knows and lives it.

Together, we ARE birds.

 

What drives me? >>>>~~~~~> We Are Birds

What drives me?


We Have spent our own time creating our own content and media... creating our own studio for the project. More Headsingers... More elders, more Ladies of Bird than one "on the spot" interview can ever cover..

What drives me are people like John Peabody Harrington the Anthropologist... getting it wrong early on.This anthropologist was studying our people in the past in the early 1900s.

Some the accounts that he wrote down for scientific purposes of research of the people that are new to his culture, were accurate and have some significance to researchers that want to know an account of what happened in our Native worlds.

Although his view might be skewed towards Europeans high watermark, one thing he didn't take into account of having more than one families opinion per tribe. He recorded songs we hear today influencing Grad student research in modern times along with his bad research.

I Cringe every time I hear anyone say. "if it wasn't for him recording songs or writing anything down we would not have anything left". This statement makes me sick to my stomach. It's truth only lies within the result of their Occupation.

The truth is that this research is EVIDENCE of what was lost due to the Two Occupying influences. If it wasn't for Those arrivals... We Would have had all that should HAVE BEEN PASSED down from our relations and not a

WAX CYLINDER.

Which sadly, I must admit to some it has become accepted as Doctrine

While researching for We Are Birds, we have accounted for multiple stories from different individuals of bird singing, and have developed a view of birds singing well above what is Known unless your IN IT.

Giving Dignity to the Native Culture I come from as I would expect it for me.. Respectful, Accurate and Authentic.

 

San Manuel Pow Wow 2014

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Morongo Pow Wow 2014

Friday, September 26th		Saturday, September 27th (continued)
4:00pm	MORONGO INDIAN MARKET OPENS	5:00pm	BIRD CONTEST
	Registration opens for all activities		Dinner (5pm-7pm)
	Blessing of the dance area
	Bird Singers	6:45PM	DRUM CALL
5:30pm	GOURD DANCING
7:45pm	DRUM CALLL	7:00pm	COLOR GUARD GRAND ENTRY
			Flag Ceremony
8:00pm	COLOR GUARD GRAND ENTRY		Invocation
	Flag Ceremony		Dance Contests
	Invocation		Drum Contests
	Dance Contests
	Drum Contests
		12:00am	CLOSING - RETIRE FLAGS
Saturday, September 27th			Time is approximate
10:00am	MORONGO INDIAN MARKET OPENS
		Sunday, September 28th
11:00am	GOURD DANCING	10:00am	MORONGO INDIAN MARKET OPENS
12:45pm	DRUM CALL	11:00am	GOURD DANCING
1:00pm	COLOR GUARD GRAND ENTRY	12:45pm	DRUM CALL
	Flag Ceremony
	Invocation	1:00pm	COLOR GUARD GRAND ENTRY
	Introduction of Dignitaries & Special Guests		Flag Ceremony
	Recognition of Visiting Indian Royalty		Invocation
	Inter-Tribal Dance		Dance Contests
	Drum Contests		Drum Contests
2:00pm	POWWOW REGISTRATION CLOSES	6:00pm	CLOSING
	Dance Contests		Time is approximate, schedule subject to change.

Soboba Pow Wow 2014

What is Birdsinging? Let me show you!

In modern times,where jobs and education are a priority , Our cultural traditions can be affected negatively. We must never stop practicing what was passed down No matter what obstacles are in that path of preservation....
All of our cultural diversity defines us as Tribal people. Preserving those traditional values is the way Native Americans continue their existence into the future within the younger generations.
#BirdWorld


Powerful Imagery of today's Indian people of southern California...
Narrations,Images, and old video footage of Bird Singing in this past decade of filming and sharing online.
We Are Birds is the relationships we have between each other. From our tribal people to neighboring tribal people, each person featured shares their Traditional views and practices with us to share with you.

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Paayish Neken
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