Jon Meza Cuero is the only Native Kumeyaay speaker in California keeping the Carranza family traditional Tipai Wildcat song cycle alive. He is the song leader of the Three Aukas and a Championship singer in Baja California. He also teaches youth in the language and songs of the Kumeyaay. He sings regularly at Tipai community social and traditional Mataayum gatherings.

Our teacher, Jon Meza Cuero has accepted the invitation to sing at these future events:

Invited to participate:

The Cabrillo Commemorative Ceremony will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2009. Just as last year, we will schedule: Jon Meza Cuero and the Wildcat Singers immediately following the band concert by Navy Band Southwest at approximately 4:20 PM. Superintendent Tom Workman would introduce you. We feel it is important that dignitaries and park visitors in attendance at the Commemorative ceremony understand that the Kumeyaay people had lived here for thousands of years prior to Cabrillo's arrival on September 28, 1542, and that their descendants still call the San Diego area home.

Fiesta del Río DRAFT Event Schedule
Imperial Beach
Sunday, October 4, 2009 1-5 pm
Stage Entertainment, MC Anne Marie Tipton
1:00 p.m. Kumeyaay Blessing
Welcome from Sector Superintendent Clay Phillips; Imperial Beach Mayor, Jim Janney;
County Supervisor Greg Cox
1:15 pm Traditional Wildcat Singers from California - Honor Place/Environment Home Theme
1:20 pm Green Power Girl
1:50 pm Los Californios and Yesteryears Dancers
2:50 pm Traditional Wildcat Singers from California - Animal Theme
2:55 pm Tales from the Story Bag – Harlynne Geisler
3:25 pm Traditional Wildcat Singers from California - Water Theme
3:30 pm Wild Wes
4:00 pm Mariachi Chula Vista (Chula Vista High School)
Children’s Games (ongoing)

Jon Mesa Cuero is invited by Marla Gilmore and is scheduled to participate in Baskets and Botany@Tecolote Canyon this year. The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2009 from 10:00 – 4:00. Jon Mesa Cuero and the Three Aukas have been in the late morning, noon slot in previous years. More specific time and directions will be available shortly.

The Aukas: Henry Mendibles, Ben Nance, Jon Meza Cuero-Lead singer, Roy Cook and Stan Rodriuez from Santa Ysabel, sing traditional Tipai Wildcat songs from Southern California.

Auka is a Tipai term for greeting, much as the English, hello. It is also analogous to the break of day and thus enlightenment. Jon has often said, "One of my goals with these songs is to plant these songs like seeds and bring the brightness of the culture to the children."

For more information and past events see: http://americanindiansource.com/wildcatpresents.html

For bookings contact:

Jon Mesa Cuero, Tipai-Kumeyaay

Or Roy Cook:

5026 70th St.

San Diego, CA

92115-1805

http://americanindiansource.com

(619) 469-5838

Recently, Jon Meza Cuero, Tipai Master teacher and song leader, was sitting in the shade talking with other members of the Three Auka singers. We were talking about songs and stories about songs. Jon has often told us of earlier times and a journey North and East from one tribal community to the next. This song journey was taken and composed Jon’s ancestors: Alfonso Meza Jon’s father and his uncle Bennito Carranza and also by a traditional and well-known Tribal singer of songs: Amaay Ta Qwas, Pinta el Cielo Amarillo or Yellow Sky, in English. Yellow Sky composed many songs including these two songs that begin at San Jose de Tecate. First, as he was looking toward the route ahead he was inspired to compose a song to begin his journey. Then, as he traveled from village to village-he composed songs describing the locations. Many of his inspirations were from sights seen, stories and emotions experienced. .

As a teacher and song composer, Jon strongly emphasizes the need to learn the tune first. He has often said, "First the song, then the words, and then what the words mean." We feel he offers his instruction in a traditional manner and often speaks to us from the heart in a traditional way.

Jon Cuero is a lead singer of Nyemii, Gato, Wildcat and has extensive experience with many of the other styles of Tipai song. Through his life experience and by circumstance and politics, he is a participant observer of the dynamics at work defining traditional song style in the Kumeyaay, Ipai, Tipai and extended Baja territory.

'Echaayaaw Nyemii
Auka Hemuk, Tres, Three

Jon Meza Cuero es el único nativo Kumeyaay en California que mantiene el ciclo Gato tradicional de la canción vivo. Él es el líder de la canción de los Tres Aukas y cantante del campeonato en Baja California. Él también enseña la juventud en la lengua y las canciones del Kumeyaay. Él canta regularmente en los acontecimientos sociales y tradicionales de la comunidad de Tipai.

CALIFORNIA Tribal Culture Overview

By Roy Cook

Linguists have long known that early California was one of the richest language centers of the world. In fact, as we shall see, language is the most commonly used method of distinguishing the peoples of California. Protohistoric information and facts can often be obtained from written accounts of people living in "historic" times or from relatively recent archaeological sources.

San Diego County has two major language groups: Hokan-Yuman and Shoshone groups.

Today there are many Tribal Bands and 21 Federal recognized Indian Reservations in San Diego County. There are other linguistically related tribes that also continue to reside on Tribal land in Imperial County and in Arizona along the Colorado River.

Rights guaranteed the Kumeyaay as citizens of the United States under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo did not become a reality until the passage of the U.S. Indian Citizenship Act in 1924, and American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978.

Then there was the nagging issue of water rights. Just as the loss of good land created havoc with the ability of California Indians to provide for themselves, the newcomers' insatiable thirst for water proved devastating. Water rights issues were litigated early in the century, and continue today.
An example is El Capitan Reservoir. Kumeyaay bands placed and originally located on the El Capitan Grande Reservation were evicted from their valley homes in 1934, because of the city of San Diego's desire to provide water for new development. A special Act of Congress condemned the prime watershed of the reservation, turning it over to the city. Indians protested, but were forcibly removed and their homes burned.

The Barona and Viejas bands were formed because of El Capitan bands acquiring nearby property to rebuild their homes, school, church and farms. Replacing the valuable watershed and water source has and is proved more difficult.

* 1950 The population of Native Americans totaled 22,000 in California (20,500 in 1880 as compared to 394,000 at the time of European Colonial contact in 1769 and of which 51,707 are federally recognized. 2000 Census.) Cook, Sherburne F. The Conflict between the California Indian and White Civilization

Some 371 treaties were signed between the US, and the Native American nations. Not only has the US violated every single one of these treaties but they had to stop negotiating out of embarrassment. Sadly, the US government continues to violate them to this day!

The destruction of the indigenous peoples on these shores was near total. For those few that remained, life became a struggle merely to survive. By 2009, Gambling and Oil have helped some tribes 'cash in' on being Indian, but what about the rest? According to information at 'Treaty Productions' Homepage, as of 1998, 335 000 Native Americans were homeless, (29 percent), 678 500 lived in substandard housing, (59 percent), 793 500 live in severe over-crowding, (69 percent).