Countywide : Juaneno Indians Sing Chief’s Praises

Solemnly and reverently, 15 members of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians shared with students at the UC Irvine a part of their heritage: the sacred songs of their Juaneno ancestors.

“The songs are gifts to our people,” said Rick Mendez, who led the ceremonial singing Thursday for an audience of about 150. “They come from our ancestors or through dreams.”

The singing was part of a daylong celebration in honor of Chief Clarence Lobo, who was chief of the Juanenos from 1946 until his death in 1985.

Credited for bringing the plight of the Juanenos to the attention of the federal government, Lobo was also their spiritual leader.

With men playing gourd rattles and women using split-reed clappers, the Juanenos sang in honor of departed family members, the spirits and of the healing power of dreams.

Later, with the sweet smell of sage filling the air, they did the traditional dances of the Costanoan Rumsen Indians.

The ceremony was an eye-opening experience for many of the students.

“I’ve never seen anything like this on campus,” said Shelley Rutkoske, a UCI sophomore. “I never realized there was a whole culture like this here in the county.”

About 2,000 descendants of the Acjachemen--the Juanenos’ original name--now remain. For nearly 10,000 years, their ancestors lived in the area between southern Los Angeles County and Camp Pendleton, including the land on which UCI now sits.

After the Spanish settlers founded Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, enlisting the Juanenos to work on the great church, the natives’ land was taken, first by the Spanish, then the Mexicans and later by Americans, who posted a $25-a-head bounty on California Indians.

To survive, the Juanenos either assimilated or went into hiding.

“We were a forgotten people,” said Juaneno leader David Belardes, who has helped lead the fight to get federal recognition. “We had a lot of things against us, so we went underground. Then we cautiously came out.”

Thursday’s event, sponsored by the Acjachemen Nation, UCI and Clarence Lobo Elementary School, also included panel discussions and an exhibit on Juaneno history.

Lobo’s nephew, Mark Villegas, attended the festivities with members of the Lobo clan, including the late chief’s widow, Anna. “He took his people seriously,” Villegas said of his uncle. “He’s finally getting the recognition that he deserves.”