For the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians, Oceanside has been home for thousands of years. That history means a depth and wealth of art, culture, food, spirituality, innovation, and stories exist that many people haven’t learned — the Valley Arts Festival was created to celebrate the first peoples of Oceanside and the land that is their home.
“The Luiseño are an Indigenous people of California who inhabited the coastal area of Southern California; in the Luiseño language, the people call themselves Payómkawichum, meaning ‘People of the West,’” said Mel Vernon, captain of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians, one of the seven tribes of the Luiseño nation. “Now in its fourth year, VAF aims to help support and celebrate the Indigenous population that lived on the land … for over 10,000 years, and to educate the community on the beauty and the strength of this amazing culture.”
The Valley Arts Festival was originally held in 2019 as the Mission District Arts Festival, organized by Studio ACE (Arts, Community, Education), which provides arts education and activities to Oceanside schools and the community. After the festival was put on hold due to COVID-19 the following year, organizers took that time to reflect and refocus it as an annual celebration of Payómkawichum. A portion of the proceeds each year goes to the San Luis Rey Mission Indian Foundation for enrichment programs, including their annual powwow. This year’s festival — “Spirit of Valley: Kíicha Nights, Coyote Dreams” — is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Heritage Park (220 Peyri Drive in Oceanside).
Vernon, 74, lives on the northern side of Escondido and also serves on the board of the community engagement panel of the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant; is on the planning committee for the Valley Arts Festival; teaches art and music part time in after-school programs in Oceanside; co-facilitates a flute circle at the San Luis Rey Bakery & Restaurant on the third Sunday of each month; and plays guitar in his band, The Kings of La Jolla, which plays oldies in Oceanside at the Pit Stop Restaurant. He took some time to talk about the festival, his storytelling segment, and some of the significance of Payómkawichum history and culture.
Q: Why is this arts festival something that you and the Luiseño people wanted to be a part of?
A: This event has given us the opportunity to share some of our culture with the broader community in an intimate setting. Though some of the instruments are not a part of our original culture, like the powwow drum, we have embraced its positive spirit and energy as we do with our annual powwow held the second weekend in June at the Old Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside. The Valley Arts Festival, like the powwow which brings dancers, drummers and people from all over the country, encourages people to come together to share culture, be with relatives and meet new friends.
Q: Can you talk about this year’s theme, “Spirit of The Valley: Kíicha Nights, Coyote Dreams”? What does this mean, exactly?
A: “Spirit of The Valley” is an ongoing theme of the festival due to its location in San Luis Rey Valley, which is in the city of Oceanside now; it used to be farmland when I was growing up. Before then, the San Luis Rey Valley was the home to the Payomkawichum (“People of the West”), now known as Luiseño, for some 10,000 years. “Kíicha” is the Luiseño traditional home made from willow and tule reeds. The coyote is known as a trickster in Luiseño stories. This is also the name of the mural in the Oceanside Public Library’s Mission branch in the children’s play area. I have also written a story titled “Kíicha Nights, Coyote Dreams”; it is about a youth from the Indian village who meets some of the local animals having a discussion in the woods. This story has also been performed by students as readers’ theater in after-school programs in Oceanside.
What I love about Escondido
People are friendly and it’s pretty quiet — except on July 4!
Q: What was involved in conceptualizing how to implement this theme into the different elements of this year’s festival? How will we see elements of this theme show up at the festival?
A: We are going to have a Kîicha on display for the first time, where the children can go inside. The Paa’ila Basket Weavers will help people make their own baskets; Luiseño artists will have baskets, gourd art, and paintings on display and for sale; and festival participants will also be able to paint on a mural, paint small gourds, draw their own family in a Kíicha, create rainbow shadow animals, and create a paper cup weaving with a succulent to plant.
Q: The festival is a celebration of Oceanside and its Indigenous community, and November is also recognized as Native American Heritage Month. What are some ways that it’s important to you to celebrate the culture and history of Payómkawichum, and Oceanside as your home?
A: In general, people are not aware of the prehistory of this land and its first people. The San Luis Rey Mission is located in the traditional home of the Luiseño and also where we were given the name by the Spanish missionaries. Native American Heritage Month is a time to bring attention to our tribe and culture. The city of Oceanside grants our tribe a proclamation in recognition of our part in the history and present-day preservation of celebration of our tribe and culture.
Q: Can you talk about the significance of the inclusion of activities like drumming, the traditional flute performance, and the Kíicha?
A: Dancing Cloud Drum Circle will be performing at Valley Arts Festival, which includes members of our tribe. Belonging to a drum group is a commitment to be sober and dedicated to the spiritual connection it has. Songs have different meanings and are prayers to heal the people. The Native Flute can be very calming and pleasant when played, or upbeat and energizing; it creates a soothing background to the event. Having the Kîicha at this event for the first time will bring the past to the present. Children will have a hands-on experience of our culture that will stay in their memory forever.
Q: According to the festival website, you’ll be performing live storytelling. Can you share a synopsis of the story/stories you’ll be telling? Why did you select these stories to tell this year?
A: One of the stories I will share is from my book, “Mel and The Blue Arrow.” It is about a young Luiseño boy and his dog, Hunwut, growing up on his great grandfather’s farm in the valley. This is a true story about the adventures and lessons learned about shooting a blue arrow in the sky above your head. This was also taught in the curriculum of Pablo Tac (School of the Arts) this year. For the first time, the students from Pablo Tac will be performing a rendition of the story at the festival.
Q: What is their importance in Luiseño culture?
A: The Luiseño people lived in their villages on the same land where the story takes place; listening and learning from your elders is the traditional way of learning life’s lessons.
Q: What do you hope people learn/experience at this year’s festival?
A: That they would come and enjoy the cultural activities, make their own basket, eat some fry bread, learn one thing they never knew before, and make a new friend and enjoy the community spirit of the festival.
Q: What’s been challenging about your work with the arts festival?
A: Being a part of the creative side of this event to make it better than the year before.
Q: What’s been rewarding about this work?
A: To see the ideas, the people, and the talent come together. Seeing the smiles on the faces of children and adults as they enjoy the music and activities at the festival.
Q: What has this work taught you about yourself?
A: That what you perceive in your mind, of any event, is not always true, but it is what you make it.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: Do you really need it?
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: That a band I was in played at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga.
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: Going to Old Town for lunch, and a walk along La Jolla Cove.