Questions that people ask..." Why did I choose to be a Native American Bird Singer..".

Documenting Singing the Birds in Palm Springs , California

1.Why did he (Albert) choose, or was he chosen to be a birdsinger?

I chose to be a birdsinger. I found it an honor to be a singer. Through the search for my family’s origins on both my mother’s (Apache) and father’s (Serrano/Cahuilla) side, I discovered new cultural traditions my present-day family was unfamiliar with. I started out by immersing myself into my culture slowly and without bothering anyone… not giving any wrong impressions…making positive connections and talking with elders such as Alvino Siva, a Korean war vet and Traditional Cahuilla Bird Singer, and with Ernest Siva about the songs and what they expect to be passed on. I felt that it was very important that tradition be maintained, but at the same time, I believe that there are different styles. Through the eons, while our people have been singing these songs… it’s not the same as a thousand years before. The “old” style now is sort of an Indian cowboy style…. The “new” Group-style has its own way of singing a particular song we all know.

2. Were these songs passed down from elders in his family, who taught him?

The songs themselves I have been given in recordings, some recorded back in 1968. I sang with Alvino Siva who was a very good friend of mine. I also have videotaped these guys singing for years now… I got used to what I was hearing so it just stuck. Just recently, I have started learning another style from Joseph Saubel ,the “Hot Water Bird Singers” Head Singer from Agua Caliente. Joseph is today’s Main Birdsinger, a “How-nic” (A traditional way of saying head singer in Cahuilla.)

Usually, you’re raised around birdsinging all your life. Some choose to be a singer and dancer; others just support the whole event/gathering. Either way, I feel it’s always around a person’s life. It’s just like breathing air… they don’t think anything of it. It’s beautiful watching how harmonious their Native lives continue on in such modern times! It’s funny how we adapt.

I appreciate anything I can get my hands on to learn. It’s catching up, so to speak, since I’m from the city. I wasn’t aware of their existence (the birdsongs) since all that knowledge was lost in my family.

Recordings… that’s how the songs were passed on to me, in a very untraditional way.

The 1960’s recordings were made when a student named Richard Lando from UCR did a project for an anthropology class. He went to the Malki Fiesta, where some important singers were singing songs all day and night for three days. Joe Patencio, Alvino Siva, Katherine Siva Saubel… he recorded what is now considered one of the most important Cahuilla historical moments because Alvino told me after those recordings were made, the singing/gathering faded for a while and barely hung on.

Taken from an interview by Abe Lopez/ Native American student group