The beaded collar is adornment worn by Western Mono women. The collar is made from contemporary glass beads. It consists of a wide choker neckband, with a net-like or lacy draped cape. The drape of the collar extends fully over and around the shoulders covering the upper torso front and…
For Indian tribes of Northwestern California the art form of making female regalia, particularly ceremonial dresses was nearly lost. As native people fight against cultural erasure to retain their languages and cultural practices, the art form of regalia making, fortunately, has regained a high frequency of practice in the current…
In Mexico there exists an incredible diversity of dance traditions from the son jarocho from Veracruz, to the redovas of the northern states, to the jarana tradition in Yucatan, many of which are often included as part of the nation state identity and as part of the ballet folklorico presentations.
Madera, California, boasts a large Oaxacan community who are largely agricultural workers. The community has recognized that back strap weaving is one of the many traditions of the indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, that is almost non-existent with the move to California. A natural context of learning to weave from…
Iu-Mien Community Services, located in Sacramento, is dedicated to the support and development of healthy Iu-Mien families and communities through culturally responsive programs and services since 1994. With approximately 15,000 Iu-Mien people in the greater Sacramento area, the impetus to start the organization grew from the…
International dance and music
Many Lightnings Legacy Center, Inc. contributes to the development and maintenance of the Native Garden located at the San Joaquin River basin in Fresno. It is a volunteer run organization. Funding from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program in 2016 will provide monthly workshops to immerse future weavers and gatherers…
Since 1974, the Imperial Valley Desert Museum has been a repository for indigenous Kumeyaay archeological collections in Imperial County and is the only cultural institution in Imperial County supporting the awareness of Kumeyaay culture and artists. The museum is in the geographic center of Kumeyaay traditional…
For over 40 years, the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center/Lucha, Inc. has provided youth and adults with a free, afterschool cultural education program. Centered in the heart of Oxnard, California, many of Inlakech’s students come from low-income agricultural families, who are greatly underserved. Children from the age of two to the…
The Nor Rel Muk Wintu Nation’s traditional homeland lies in the headwaters of the South Fork of the Trinity River, in Trinity County, California. Approximately half of the tribe’s 1,000 members still live near their ancestral lands in Trinity and Shasta Counties. Nor Rel Muk Wintu members from across the…
