Breaking Myths of Indian Culture

Imparting Chumash tribal wisdom to students at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School on Thursday, Mark Mendez warned the children to beware of coyotes, the “tricksters” of Native American lore, as they journey through life.

“Stay true to your path,” Mendez said, concluding a fable about a young boy who was led astray by a coyote. “There are no shortcuts. Don’t be misled by the coyotes you may encounter.”

That insight and many others were eagerly received by students who were treated to hands-on crafts, traditional Native American music, tribal artifacts and storytelling during a presentation by Mendez and his cousin Randy Folkes.

Both are directly descended from Southern California Chumash Indians and give presentations on Native American culture to students and other groups in Orange County and elsewhere.

During a morning assembly, the students sang traditional songs, keeping beat with the wan-saq, a type of clapping stick. They built their own wooden noisemakers, and they played tribal children’s games.

Dozens of artifacts were on display, including bows, spears, baskets, arrowheads, dolls and musical instruments crafted by Folkes and Mendez.

The cousins said their goal is to teach Chumash history and culture while dispelling stereotypes.

“We try to show that the Indian people were very diverse in language, social structure and technology,” Mendez said.

Much of his teaching, Mendez said, is “damage control,” because many children are exposed to misinformation about Native Americans early in life.

“We try to show that the stereotypes of television, the Hollywood image, aren’t accurate. We try to get away from the ‘bloodthirsty red man’ and the ‘noble red man,’ ” he said.

Principal Frances Byfield said the session was part of curricula that show the contributions made by various ethnic groups to contemporary America.

Folkes and Mendez “really care about their culture and want to share it,” Byfield said. “They show the kids that Native American culture is more than bows and horses.”

The message was not lost on fourth-grader Maria Rincon, who said she had just learned that local Native American tribes lived in huts.

“Not all Indians lived in tepees,” she declared proudly.