The City Council Wednesday marked the start of Native American Heritage Month with a presentation ceremony honoring the history, cultural traditions and legacy of the Native American community, and giving a series of awards.
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents the Seventh District, which includes the Northeast areas of the San Fernando Valley, led Wednesday’s ceremony.
Rodriguez said that while many of the city’s 15 council districts have rich histories with the Native American community, in her district, the San Fernando Mission holds a complicated legacy.
“(The mission is) something of an amenity that was built at the forced hand of the tribal community,” Rodriguez said. “It’s something that we shouldn’t ignore, overlook or ever forget, but we must reconcile.”
She added, “I get a little peeved about getting months because, frankly, we have to do this work every single day to really memorialize the wrongs that have been orchestrated against so many peoples in this country, and in the history of our country.”
Members of the L.A. City/County Native American Indian Commission joined Rodriguez for the ceremony, including Kimberly Morales Johnson (Gabrieleno/Tongva); Sherry Thomas (Quinault and Yurok); Rudy Ortega Jr. (Fernandeño Tataviam); and Mark Villaseñor (Fernandeño Tataviam).
According to Ortega, many Native American stories remain untold.
Thomas thanked the council for sharing in the month and for celebrating the diversity of Los Angeles, which has over 300,000 Native Americans.
“We have a very rich tapestry of people that are proud to be residents of Los Angeles,” Thomas said. “But as the council member has said, for us, Native American Heritage Month is not just a month — we celebrate this all year.
“We look to uplift our peoples through policy, through our actions, and through our interactions with community telling us what it is and how we can help facilitate that.”
Thomas took a moment to thank the Gabrieleno/Tongva for bringing their young and getting them involved so they grow comfortable “being here and speaking on a sovereign nation-to-nation footing.”
Rodriguez also honored Roberta Javier (Sac and Fox/Cherokee), and posthumously Jimi Castillo (Tongva/Acjachemen) and Chris `Spanto’ Printup (Seneca/Apache).
Javier was given the “spirit of community” award.
She is an Angeleno for over a decade who works in the Department of Children and Family Services’ American Indian Unit, supporting Native American foster children. Javier is the also president of the American Indian Community Council, a non-profit providing resources to Native American people in L.A. County.
“We must be loud, proud and visible,” Javier said. “We must teach that to our children.”
She noted that the non-profit is struggling, but will continue to provide resources for the community because “our community has many difficulties and they need all the support, all the respect and all of the recognition that they should have rightfully so.”
Rodriguez awarded Castillo the “spirit of tradition” award. Castillo, a well-known pipe carrier and sun dancer, was a Marine Corps veteran who served in the Vietnam War and earned a Medal of Valor, according to his family.
For decades, he also served as a Native American spiritual leader, helping Native youth in California prisons. He and his wife, Jeanette, were known on the Southern California powwow trail. Together, they received countless awards, including former President Barack Obama’s volunteer service lifetime achievement award.
Castillo died earlier this year, according to his family.
Printup, born and raised in Venice, founded the Los Angeles-based streetwear Born X Raised.
“He used his platform to advocate for issues affecting the Native American community and bridge communities together through creative expression,” Rodriguez said.
“Chris is most recognized for his contributions to his community,” Rodriguez added. “He shared his light and love with everyone, paying respects to his ancestors and elders.”
The councilwoman awarded Printup the “spirit of creativity” award. Printup died late June, the L.A. Times reported.
Daniel Tarica, general manager of the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, wrapped up the ceremony by highlighting this year’s Native American Heritage Month theme, which is “community embracing the future.”
“A `community embracing the future’ inspires us to reflect on the historical injustices faced by Native Americans and their ongoing challenges, fostering a sense of empathy and solidarity,” Tarica said.