Soboba’s Cultural Resource Department revitalized the Fiesta in 2008 after a long hiatus. Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Joseph Ontiveros said the event gets bigger every year. The Fiesta Committee began planning for this year’s event in November. Members Harold Arres, Steven Lopez, Joseph Ontiveros, Renee Rhodes, Andy Silvas, Annalisa Tucker, and Jessica Valdez worked in collaboration to make sure everything was ready to greet visitors from all over.

The $ovóova Po’$wáamay (Daughter of Soboba) committee is overseeing three candidates vying for this year’s title. They are Se’ish Morillo, So’a Nelson, and Raya Salgado. Carrie Garcia, one of the board members, said the current program was formed a few years ago and the group spent a couple of years figuring out exactly what they wanted to do. Soboba used to host a Fiesta Maiden Contest but that ended in 1970.

“We wanted to bring back our cultural traditions and be able to represent our Tribe and people in a more positive manner, so we created this program and we’ve been taking the girls out to do things,” Garcia said. On May 30 the girls will join committee members in the mountains to teach them how to identify plants and talk about their uses. They also plan to pick soaproot bulbs from which they will learn how to make soaproot brushes that are used in the making of wewish, a traditional staple made from acorns.

The current $ovóova Po’$wáamay, Su’la Arviso, is looking forward to helping guide these young women through various activities leading up to the crowning ceremony in October. She introduced each one to say a few words.

“I would like to be the 2026-2027 Daughter of Soboba because I want to represent Soboba with pride, strength, and authenticity,” Se’ish said.

So’a said she grew up around the culture and it’s important to her to pass it down to the next generation. Raya, who competed against Su’la last year, said she really wants to give back to her community.

The Soboba Elders hosted bingo games inside the gymnasium and graciously supplied all the baked goods available for kids to win during the cakewalk. A horseshoe tournament, one-pitch softball games, a three-legged race, tug of war, and a watermelon-eating contest were spread throughout the day. Peon games began at dusk and continued into the night. Birdsingers and dancers from all over were invited to the microphones at the center of the handmade ramada arena to share their songs.

Students from the Soboba Tribal Preschool and kindergarten sang three songs in Luiseño, each introduced by teacher Julissa Garcia who thanked Soboba Tribal Council Secretary Monica Herrera and Chámmakilawish Pechanga School Principal Andrew Masiel for sharing their knowledge with the teachers so the songs could be taught to the children.

After a song about working together to clean up, they sang “noyo nopush nonaq” which translates to “my head, my eyes, my ears.” “Our third and final song we call ‘Hethi Nakki’ or ‘open shut’ where students sing while following along with their hands,” Garcia said.

The annual salsa and tortilla contests were popular again this year with tasters voting on 11 unique salsas and seven tortilla entries. Cultural Resource Specialist Jessica Valdez was helping at the booth and said there were no restrictions as to what type of salsa the contestants could enter. New this year was the awarding of trophies as well as $250 to the winners in each category. Ruby Arrietta received the most votes for her salsa and Rose Vera was the top vote getter for her fresh tortillas.

Darius Cabudol chose a salsa he said had a lot of flavor but wasn’t too hot while Ashwet Arellano, 6, liked one that was more saucy than chunky. Clyde Wilcox cast his vote for one of the spicier salsas while Deanne Wilcox cast her vote for what turned out to be the winner.

“I liked the citrus taste, and it didn’t have cilantro,” she said. She chose a tortilla that was not too thin or thick and said the one she liked best had the perfect tortilla taste. “I was looking around for some refried beans to put on it,” she said with a smile.

Several Soboba departments and partners were represented at information booths, with many offering fun freebies and some games for the youngest visitors.

The post Soboba Fiesta combines culture and competitions appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   On the drive down we listened to “Oldies but Goodies” on the radio, singing along to just about every song. Guess that makes us one of the “oldies!” A song came along that I hadn’t heard in ages sung by Barry McGuire – Eve of Destruction. The song was written in 1965 and recorded in just one take on a Tuesday morning with McGuire reading lyrics scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper.

   I thought as we drove that there’s just something a bit bizarre about listening to a song about our world blowing up at any moment but here we are – almost 60 years later – attending a wedding with grandchildren and great’s – like…we’re still here!! But the song was extremely popular and reached number one on the US singles chart, even as it sparked plenty of political commentary with its provocative lyrics! Why?

   Mainly because so many people believed it – and – people revel in being scared. It’s strange! Fear!! It catches peoples’ attention quite like nothing else. Think about it – our society traffics in fear. Amusement parks try their hardest to scare the puddin’ out of people with monster rides while our culture laces itself with health fears, political fears, and fears from war & violence.

   People intentionally read fear-based novels and watch movies that frighten the daylights out of them. Our internet lists over 550 different types of phobias (extreme fear) with dogs, heights, spiders, water, flying, bees, bats, darkness & dust topping the list. Fear seems to permeate our entire culture today!

   But thankfully, the Bible takes a different view of fear. The two-word phrase “fear not” appears 61 times in the Bible and phrases like “fear ye not” appear another 31 times. The Bible tells us that one day “men’s hearts will fail them for fear.” Things are going to get dicey, but God will prevail — so, fear not!

   Isaiah 43 clinches it all with this: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end – because I am God, your personal God, your Savior.” God has promised to meet you just where you are and at whatever fear level you’re experiencing at any given time! That is amazing!

   This is completely opposite of what the world feeds us. In 1947, the “Doomsday Clock” was adopted by atomic scientists to show how close we are to global annihilation. Back then the clock was set at 7 minutes to midnight. The clock is now set at just 90 seconds. Definitely not moving in the right direction, but here’s THE question: who’s your 911? Who’s your “go-to” when fear attempts to overtake you? A ‘shrink?’ Food? A friend? Or God? As usual, we all have a choice. 

   Trying to wrap this up on a positive note, I’m sure all you parents know it’s scary 

being a parent. We can fear for our children and for good reason – kids are unpredictable, schools are challenging, and our culture can capture our children at younger & younger ages. But here are some whacky things parens have learned while maneuvering their way through the ‘scary’ maze of childhood ~

   ~ A king-sized waterbed holds enough water to fill the entire bedroom 3 inches deep. ~ If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite. ~ A 3 year-olds voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant. ~ Super glue is forever. ~ Garbage bags do not make good parachutes. ~ Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving. ~The fire department in Austin, TX has as 5-minute response time. OMG to all of the above.

   But – here’s the bottom line: Life is a grand adventure. Life is good. Life is challenging. Life takes courage to navigate. So, why not let God be your 911?!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post Who’s Your 911?   appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Noli Indian School Culture teacher Tashina Miranda Ornelas is thankful that she has been able to expand her high school students’ lessons to include sharing what they learn with Soboba Tribal Preschool students. Teaching them how to teach others is a life lesson as much as it is a classroom lesson. The Beading Club she facilitates has also allowed students to take the lead and share a particular design or technique with others.

This year, kindergarten boys were given the opportunity to create their own rattles to use during bird songs at the upcoming Noli Indian School Gathering of the People, Soboba’s Fiesta and other social events. Nate Arviso and Fred Miranda from Soboba’s Canyon Crew worked with the boys to fill their hollowed-out and painted gourds with shelled palm tree seeds, up to 60 for each rattle. Five girls got to make mini baskets with help from Ornelas, kindergarten teacher Sierra Vivanco and Noli students Tatianna Briones, Sienna Goff and Ciara Ramos.

Each girl chose a basket start and was taught how to weave strands of different colors to make a traditional Round Reed basket using an over under technique. They were taught about the tradition of always gifting the first of any item they make. One five-year-old said she planned to give it to her grandmother, while another gifted hers to Vivanco.

They learned that the baskets were used for utilitarian purposes by their ancestors and making them improved dexterity, which is super important.

Arviso and Miranda picked the seeds from the palm trees and fashioned handles from oak, sycamore and other trees that grow on the Soboba Indian Reservation.

All students were being taught important age-appropriate lessons throughout such as counting, fine motor skills and the boys learned about motion, rhythm, timing and more once the rattles were completed. They also got to explore color when allowed to paint the gourds any way they wanted.

In the past, girls from Ornelas’ culture class have made bird skirts for the kindergarten girls and both groups are always excited on delivery day to see the colorful and festive designs that were created. This year was no exception.

This year’s fabric was provided by preschool funding and donations by Soboba Tribal Member Antonia Briones-Venegas. Colors were chosen by the preschool girls and patterns were selected by Ornelas. Noli students worked on the bird skirts before delivering them on April 27 so they would have plenty of time to get used to them before they would be joining bird singers at upcoming events.

Junior Faith Vega made five skirts and said the biggest challenge was keeping the ribbon straight as it was sewed around the bottom of the skirt.

Tatianna “Roo” Briones made about nine skirts this year and Iyana Briones made about six.

“I like all of them so far,” Iyana said.

Some Noli students also helped construct three ramadas that were built for the Gathering on May 19 and the Soboba Fiesta, May 21.

Noli’s annual Gathering of the People was full of activities for all to enjoy. There were art projects such as print making, rock painting (using rocks collected from the riverbed by the Canyon Crew), beading and basket weaving.

Preschoolers were given a non-student day so they could attend the event with their family members if they chose to do so. All staff and students from Noli were on hand to enjoy a day of socialization with games and great food.

Snapper Contreras and Aaron Malone, both from Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, offered bird songs throughout the festivities after Contreras’ blessing started the event at 10 a.m.

ASB activities such tug-of-war, water balloon toss, potato sack race and horseshoes brought out lots of laughter and friendly competition. ASB Vice-President and sophomore Luisa Rivera, led the various games, demonstrating some great leadership skills.

Another very important tradition was carried out by Ornelas at the Noli Gathering with the support of Noli administration and Noli School Board to honor this year’s valedictorian, Lanise Luna-Trujillo.

“On behalf of my husband Christopher Ortiz (Los Coyotes), myself Tashina Miranda Ornelas (Pechanga) and my three children who attend the school, Daigan Cyhan (Pechanga), Avalina Magante-Ortiz (Los Coyotes) and Kolókolomay Témanxwanvish (Los Coyotes), we honored Lanise with an Eagle Feather from our family to her and her family for all her cultural accomplishments and consistent academic endeavors. We wanted to recognize her publicly and honor her with this gift,” Ornelas said. “It was such a rewarding day for all of those in attendance. Such a blessing.”

Other traditions for students included an in-person prom on Friday, May 20, where Lanise Luna-Trujillo, from Pala, was crowned Prom Queen and Prom King honors went to Michael Briones, from Soboba. Noli’s eighth-grade promotion ceremony is on May 31 and high school graduation on June 1.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Sharing Culture Culminates at Annual Gathering appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

While local schools are experiencing closed campuses and utilizing distance learning for their students, Noli Indian School at the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Reservation has taken steps to ensure that its daily curriculum is kept as normal as possible. To that end, Cultural Teacher Tashina Ornelas has kept students moving along in their studies and projects online. “As a school, I believe we still hold the value of our culture program as a priority, just as we do for our other elective courses,” she said.

“We are fortunate to understand the need students have for all the courses for various reasons.” Prior to the unprecedented situation our schools are facing, Ornelas and some of her students had discussions about making camp dresses for 13 kindergarten girls at Soboba’s Tribal Preschool. Several ninth graders volunteered earlier in the school year to do this and the skirts were delivered in early March to the excited children. Ornelas, who has been creating and facilitating her own culture programs at Noli for about 15 years, met with the participating high schoolers during their 18-minute daily advisory period. Soboba Tribal Members who made skirts were Leila Arres, Iyana “Tot” Briones, Tatiana “Roo” Briones, Bella Resvaloso, Destiny Salgado and Faith Vega. Others were Anisa Brañe of Mesa Grande and Lakota Bates of Torres Martinez. The first step included measuring all the kindergarten girls and finding out their favorite colors.

After fabric and ribbon was purchased, it took about a week to cut all fabric to size. Pinning took another week or two and sewing hems took one to two weeks, depending on the student’s experience. “Once hems were sewn, we laid the ribbon which took another week,” Ornelas explained. “(Hand) sewing ribbon is more challenging so this took about two weeks. Then the elastic was added, which only took a day or two. Sewing up the skirt is the last step.” Overall, it can take anywhere from two to six weeks to complete a skirt based on the time allotted for the project, experience of the dressmaker and mental space. “I teach some particular family protocols as well, so if girls are not in the correct mental space, they do not work on the skirt which adds time.

The process of gifting takes all our energy and we owe it to be positive. If we cannot be positive, we don’t work. To work in such negativity would be bad medicine,” Ornelas said. “A few of the girls came in on their own time or after school so it’s hard to say how long it actually took to make each skirt.” No previous knowledge of sewing was needed but the more experienced sewers felt more confident to jump right in. “I thought it was a good way to teach the little ones about carrying on traditions,” said Leila Arres, 14, who has made skirts before. “It was a lot of fun to work on them; I made four.” She said when they delivered the skirts, the little girls were so excited.

“They loved them and didn’t want to take them off,” Leila said. Bella Resvaloso, 14, said she thought all the dresses turned out really pretty and was happy to work together with her classmates to learn how to make them. “I decided to get involved because I think it’s a good thing for our culture and our past history,” said Faith Vega, 14. “I saw my niece at the preschool, and she was so proud of me.” Anisa Brañe said her goal while making the dresses was to create something that would make the young girls happy. This is her second year participating in the collaborative program. “They were waiting for us when we got to the school shouting ‘our skirts are here’ – it was cool,” said Anisa, 16.

Ornelas, who has been overseeing the dressmaking program for more than five years, said her methods and choices of topics are family based – it is what she has been taught by her family and what they practice. She shares her family’s ways and beliefs, being sure to explain that it is surely not the only way but gives the students perspective that allows for open conversations. “I am what we call Húu’unikat which in a general term translates to ‘teacher’ in Luiseño,” she said. “I share with the students how I was taught by my family including protocols/rituals.

Since I am sharing my family’s way and they are learning under me, it’s expected that they carry on the tradition as I have guided them. Now of course if their family has a particular set way they do it, then of course I would expect them to follow their own family’s protocols/traditions.” As Noli’s Culture Department Coordinator, Ornelas facilitates cultural programs through Indian Education for children of many communities. She has taught in various capacities for TANF and the Soboba Cultural Resource Department during her 15 years teaching at Noli.

“Culture for the most part does not come from a book,” she said. “It is living and breathing. Culture is Life. It is the essence of traditions/customs.” Ornelas enjoys the dressmaking program as a way to share knowledge, make and learn from mistakes and build positive relationships with youth of different ages.

All materials are either purchased by the preschool or Ornelas and sometimes is donated by community members or community groups. “Truthfully, it is difficult to teach at a distance because I do love hands-on collaborative approaches but it is because of that I know we must protect our students so we have something to return to in the near future,” she said. “Perhaps it will create even more of a respect for honoring and passing on our traditions.”

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Noli students share culture

The post NOLI STUDENTS SHARE CULTURE appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

After reading with great interest the Things to do Calendar published and updated weekly in the Hemet / San Jacinto Chronicle, I have come to the conclusion that the San Jacinto Valley is indeed fortunate to have so many people interested in fostering a wide variety of cultural activities and events in our communities. These committed citizens volunteer their time and resources to promoting events in the plastic and performing arts, music, theatre, film, etc.

I believe a listing is in order of some of the organizations that are dedicated to making life easier and kinder for all who will access their offerings.

Diamond Valley Arts Council: Taken from their internet home page, “since its founding in 2004, “Advancing the Arts – Creating Community” has been the motto of The Diamond Valley Arts Council. With The DVAC’s move into a new facility at 123 N. Harvard St. in downtown Hemet, the implications of that ideal has taken on even greater significance for both the arts and for the community. As an organization dedicated to promoting awareness of, and greater participation in, the arts, locating in downtown Hemet opens the door for greater visibility of what The DVAC is, what we do and what is available to our community in terms of arts and culture activities, events and venues.

Western Science Center declares in their mission statement to “Discover the Past, Explore the Present, and Promote a Sustainable Future,” adding that “The tripartite mission of the Western Science Center is to advance knowledge of the region’s natural history and cultural heritage, with an emphasis on the importance of water to life in the context of environmental change over time; convey to students and the general public an appreciation of science and mathematics as essential for understanding the natural world, human cultures, and how the two interact; and play a leading role in meeting the challenge to build a sustainable future for people and their environments in California and beyond.

Historic Hemet Theatre expresses in their web page that “The Historic Hemet Theatre is a Community Arts Center located in the center of the Historic Downtown District of Hemet, California. The mission of the Valley View Foundation (aka Historic Hemet Theatre Foundation) is to improve the quality of life in the valley community through 1) historic preservation of the Historic Hemet Theatre (one of the oldest in the nation); 2) cultural enrichment through performing arts and educational programming; and 3) economic revitalization of Hemet’s historic downtown district. Hosted events include concerts, films, live theatre and educational programs on topics of interest to residents of the valley and the surrounding communities.”

Ramona Hillside Players expresses that the mission of the Ramona Hillside Players is to promote quality entertainment offering creative live theatre productions; providing a cradle for community theatre in our valley; offering opportunities for growth to actors and directors while preserving our dramatic and comedic heritage and providing mutually satisfying theatre experiences for our members and our audiences.

Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre “is a community non-profit organization. Its purpose is to ensure the annual presentation of the California Historic Outdoor Pageant, Ramona, contribute to tourism and continuing educational programs that promote the arts, California history, national humanity efforts, and native American history with quality outdoor theater entertainment.”

The above are only a few of many venues where the residents of the San Jacinto Valley and beyond can avail themselves of first quality cultural entertainment for little or no cost. I invite all readers of the Hemet San Jacinto Chronicle to stay informed through the “Things to do Calendar” of multiple events designed for all tastes and budgets.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Culture and entertainment

The post Culture and entertainment in Hemet and San Jacinto appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.