Page 8 - caltrans2008fortier
P. 8
Bernadino hills area where Ms. Gonzales spent her youth learning about plants of cultural
significance to the Tongva people. Currently Ms. Gonzales splits her time working for
the United American Indian Involvement (UAII) program and for the Madrona Marsh
Preserve in Torrance, CA. The son of Beverly Salazar Folkes, Randy Guzman Folkes is
a Chumash, Tataviam, and Tongva tribal member. As a tribal monitor for the Fernandeno
Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, Mr. Guzman Folkes takes an active role in the
cultural life of his Native people. He regularly helps with organization of festivals, pow-
wows, and awards ceremonies. He plays a key role in the revitalization of Tataviam
cultural life by performing at an international level of Native American dance. Richard
Bugbee is a Payoomkawichum (Luisiño) tribal member living along Topanga Canyon
Boulevard. He has a deep interest in the relationship between plants and people and has
constructed southern California Indian houses for several museums and Native American
reservations. He currently teaches at Sycuan Indian Reservation.
In addition to conducting roadway surveys with Native consultants, phone interviews
were conducted with other Native Americans stakeholders and with experts from the San
Diego Natural History Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and the
Linguistics Department at UCLA. These individuals include Mark Acuna, John Aguirre,
Cindy Alvitre, Ron Andrade, Charlie Cooke, Robert Dorame, Sam Dunlap, Mati Waiya,
Karen Keever, Chester King, David Laughing Horse Robinson, Deron Marquez, Pamela
Munro, Anthony Morales, Rudy Ortega Jr., Beverly Salazar Folkes, Craig Torres, Julie
Tumamait, Alfred Valenzuela, John Valenzuela, and Brit Wilson.
Concerning documentation, the survey team drove minimum safe speeds along the
designated roadways watching for potential GP locations along the ROW that were likely
candidates for Native plant harvesting. When such sites were encountered, we stopped
and recorded the location. Most locations were GPS recorded using a Garmin eTrex
handheld recorder. The surveyors then recorded the location visually, noting mile
markers and other visible signposts. The surveyors next recorded the plant(s)
photographically, including photos of the highway when convenient. In a Plant
Collecting and Documentation Field Notebook a host of other information was
recorded. The Field Site Data included an accession number, the date and time of
collection, locality information, GPS record number, elevation, landmark information,
and photo record number. The Plant Identification Data included the name of the Native
collector and identifier of the plant species, the plant taxon, vernacular names, notable
plant habits, the Native consultant’s immediate recollection of plant uses (other uses were
discussed later), the plant’s immediate physical habitat, and associated plant communities
or vegetation. Other cultural information was written in an Ethnographic Field
Notebook. This information included general comments about memories associated with
the culturally significant plants and the highway locations as we drove along the
designated roadways. For example, consultants recalled ceremonies associated with
plants, or animals that forage the plants, or myths that involve the plants, or events related
to past collecting trips.
During later data analysis, I assessed information relating to the gathering sites, the
culturally significant plants, and their uses as reported in ethnographic and botanical
literatures. See the references section for the written literature that was consulted.
Caltrans D7 Region/Los Angeles County Ethnographic Consultation 8