Ba’ac Garcia leads Lamont residents in a friendship dance during a Native American cultural presentation at the Lamont Branch Library on Nov. 8. (Crystal Navarro/Kern Sol News)

On November 8, through the Measure K funding, the Kern County library department, in partnership with Redboy Production, hosted a Native American Presentation honoring culture, storytelling, and art in Lamont. The Redboy Production offers educational programs to the public, addressing and embracing indigenous stories. 

Ba’ac Garcia, a member of the Tohono O’oodham Nation who often leads the Dance Group with Redboy production, gave the cultural presentation to Lamont residents and Library staff. Attendees were welcomed to join in a friendship dance led by Garcia himself. 

Garcia displayed cultural artifacts that have been passed down to him and tribal instruments used for storytelling. He also emphasized the importance of keeping traditions and heritage alive. 

“Learning our traditions is very important to us because it symbolizes who we are as Native American people,” said Garcia. “Being able to carry out within ourselves, we’re able to teach our young ones, our next generation. We want them to learn about their own heritage and where they come from and where their ancestors come from.” 

Garcia reminds the young children in the room to ask their parents where they come from so that they can learn and share their heritage with others. 

“Being Native American means a lot because there’s, I would say, 50% of us that are still continuing to grow when before there was 100% but through colonization, there were a lot of loved ones that we lost,” explained Garcia. 

He also acknowledged that through these events, social gatherings, and pow wows that invite and welcome non-Natives, it gives visibility to his people, showcasing that they still exist today. 

“It gives visibility that we are not the typical stereotypes that people may think, or that you know, that they can learn in historical books. It symbolizes that we still exist and that we continue to practice our traditions and that we are wanting to showcase that with the world,” said Garcia

Marina Medrano, a spokesperson for the Lamont Branch Library, explained that through the Wumba project, a partnership between the library and CSUB, each year the university comes together with a different book based on various themes. 

This year’s book focus is Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa, a memoir exploring the author’s Native American identity.

“So we are relating everything in regards to Native American Heritage month. We were really happy to be able to bring out RedBoy Productions to provide this presentation. We are very happy to provide these beautiful experiences for the community. I know that sometimes community members might not be able to travel far for different horizons or experiences to enjoy the beautiful culture. So we are happy to bring that right here for the whole Lamont community” said Medrano. 

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on November 7 that November would be recognized as Native American Heritage Month. The proclamation also follows a recent return of ancestral land of approximately 17,000 acres to the Tule River Nation, in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada hills, including a reintroduction of the tule elk. 

The proclamation celebrates the first people of California, their contributions in reclaiming land, history, and their fight against colonial powers. For more than a hundred years, indigenous communities have and continue to fight for their right to clean water, education, land, and to be recognised as citizens. 

“We shine a light on the first people of this nation, often relocated to this state by force through similar federal policies,” said Newsom. 

Historically speaking, indigenous peoples have fought against assimilation and displacement from ancestral lands to reservations for years. In California,  due to displacement, many tribes saw a decrease in their population due to ongoing violence and disease. 

Throughout the proclamation, the governor welcomes all to embrace the similar values imposed and practiced by the  Native people: strength, survival, and leadership.