`A LIVING SOCIETY'; TONGVA DANCE CYCLE CELEBRATED.Byline: Kevin F. Sherry Daily News Staff Writer The Tongva Indians ended their dancing season with a festive display at the Satwiwa Native American Indian American Indian or Native American or Amerindian or indigenous American Any member of the various aboriginal peoples of the Western Hemisphere, with the exception of the Eskimos (Inuit) and the Aleuts. Culture Center on Sunday. A dozen Tongva danced and told stories to continue their oral storytelling tradition, said Mark Fire Horn Acuna, the Tongva dance captain. ``The main goal is to get people to realize we're not extinct,'' Acuna said. ``It's a living
Acuna, also known as Chavut 'a'a, was festooned in a feather headdress headdress, head covering or decoration, protective or ceremonial, which has been an important part of costume since ancient times. Its style is governed in general by climate, available materials, religion or superstition, and the dictates of fashion. , leather loincloth loin·cloth n. A strip of cloth worn around the loins. loincloth Noun a piece of cloth covering only the loins Noun 1. and red-and-white paint. He led dancers within the circle, as a group of four with bows and arrows mimicked the actions of hunters. The pre-European Tongva nation stretched from Newport Beach to Malibu and from the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. to San Bernardino. The tribe dances at various festivals from spring to fall, each one different than the last. ``Our stories change during the cycle,'' Acuna said. ``Most of the stories are for some type of moral.'' During the winter months, the members of the tribe take time off to regroup re·group v. re·grouped, re·group·ing, re·groups v.tr. To arrange in a new grouping. v.intr. 1. To come back together in a tactical formation, as after a dispersal in a retreat. and learn new dances, he said. ``We go to sleep with the bear,'' Acuna said. Winter also is a time to huddle together to develop new stories, he said. A common misconception is that every story told is an ancient tale. In reality, the tribe is always updating, revising and creating, Acuna said. ``It's a continuous oral tradition,'' he said. ``We're not doing museum pieces.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1 -- color) Valerie Many Hearts Roybal and Victor Eagle Dancer Carrillo prepare to dance with the Tongva. (2 -- color) Dance captain Mark Fire Horn Acuna gives a lesson on Tongva culture on Sunday at the Satwiwa center. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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