Kiliwa piedra de suerte

Hi Nomads,

A few weeks back we got word that a crew doing a documentary on the Kiliwa people of our area and of the Valle de Trinidad were wanting to visit our ranch. The camera man from Mexico city and an elder by the name of Don Jose Urchurte was to come down with our friends from the condor station to look for some petroglyphs and and rock of significance.

Don Jose is one of the few Kiliwas that still knows the language and was interviewed so that he could answer in his native language. The documentary is due out supposedly later this year!
Our ranch (Concepcion) has been inhabited probably for a long time by the Kiliwas, the most recent being dona Chepa, Louisa, and Paola. Don Jose is their cousin. It was interesting to hear about the ranch from a non- Meling point of view. The history as interperted by the Melings and Don Jose was shall we say quite different!
We all embarked for the northeast towards Mikes to look for the petroglyph which don Jose said was fairly small (like the size of a stool). We found the spot he said it should be but somebody had taken it during the last 10 year period. Its probably a souvenier in somebodies house somewhere! Too bad it too close to the road! Apparently the petroglyph was a spiral design that was an important religious marker for when the Kiliwa people were traveling their trade routes.
The other "piedra de suerte" we found quite easily as it was close to our house, its basicly a large rock where traveling Kiliwas would throw small rocks at its base for luck on their journey. Who knows how many 100's of years this rock was used!

I look forward to seeing the documentary! Don Jose is a very gentle soft spoken soul. Listening to the language spoken reminded me a little of Inuktituk language of the far north in Canada!

A picture of the "film crew" It was interesting to note that Don Jose also took pieces of chamise colorado to toss at the base of the piedra de suerte.

Don Jorge: I got my tee as a gift, but you can buy some here at the Ventana wildlife society's website:

http://www.cafepress.com/ventanawildlife/3993446

I think Costa Salvage has some too but they are not as nice

Roberto: thanks! It sure does feel like home here now. But really after farming for 15 years you learn to be self sufficient. Living here certainly would not be for everyone! My Wife Pamela grew up on a sailboat, she says this is not isolated, 25 days from any land IS

BajaBlanca: Hmmm dunnno if he will be back here, but he lives in Valle De Trinidad, its a pretty small place I'm sure if you asked around he would be easy to find. Sad foot note that all over the world these indigenous languages are being lost forever. The pace at which we are losing language diversity is almost matching the rate at which we are losing animal/plant diversity. Humans can be so very short sighted!!!

I will for sure inform the list when and where this documentary can be seen!

Quote:

Originally posted by astrobaja Don Jorge: I got my tee as a gift, but you can buy some here at the Ventana wildlife society's website: http://www.cafepress.com/ventanawildlife/3993446 I think Costa Salvage has some too but they are not as nice Roberto: thanks! It sure does feel like home here now. But really after farming for 15 years you learn to be self sufficient. Living here certainly would not be for everyone! My Wife Pamela grew up on a sailboat, she says this is not isolated, 25 days from any land IS BajaBlanca: Hmmm dunnno if he will be back here, but he lives in Valle De Trinidad, its a pretty small place I'm sure if you asked around he would be easy to find. Sad foot note that all over the world these indigenous languages are being lost forever. The pace at which we are losing language diversity is almost matching the rate at which we are losing animal/plant diversity. Humans can be so very short sighted!!! I will for sure inform the list when and where this documentary can be seen!