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ERASED and TERMINATED in Nevada City, California

A Blood Diamond hidden among the gems

Nevada City is known as a quaint old gold rush town in Northern California.  It’s a little over one hour north of Sacramento. Many in this area know this place. It’s a hidden gem for sure. Today, though, I am not writing about this hidden gem. Today, I discovered a blood diamond among the gems.  

This post will be written separate and independent of any other post I write about Nevada City in order to honor the beauty and importance of what I found today.  Something that came close to being erased.

The Historian Ember

Today I met the Historian Ember. A humble spokesperson of the local Nisenan Tribe.  A tribe which has not been erased in person, but on paper.  Long have I looked at this world from another perspective; from the inside out, from the upside down, through a mirror instead of right at it. 

The ‘disorienting’ timeline–a reason for YOU to go yourself, to read each panel

When introducing us to a timeline on the wall. Ember stated that it was ‘disorienting’ instead of ‘weird.’  This struck a chord with me because this year, I happen to be working to remove the word ‘weird’ from my vocabulary. She said it was disorienting because if you ask a Nisenan elder “How long have your people been here?”  The answer would be ‘Since HERE has been here, we have been here.’  They cannot put a date on it. 

The historian then mentioned ‘the devastating times.’

It was but a trickle to the upcoming hour long tour. A trickle which resulted in a floodgate of knowledge, history and hope washing over me in a small space and blip of time. 

There are always two sides to every story. 

I knew immediately that she was referring to the Gold Rush Era.  The glorious Gold Rush Era–though fraught with disappointment and hardship for we white people– is taught as a time of dreamers with resilience, grit and ingenuity who finally met victory.  I’m originally from NY.  It was taught the same way to me when I was young. As a teacher in CA, it is still taught by those of us with this ingrained image of romanticism-though we know better now- and, for me, today was a pivotal catalyst to DO better. 

The devastating times. A time when a certain greed swept these lands along with a selfish genocide of humans and raping of the land. The effects of which carry on to this day. Without spewing shame or blame, the Uba Seo Gallery along with the amazing knowledge spoken so much from the heart by Ember brings life to the light still burning. 

After what sounded like more than one lifetime spent with Shelly, the Executive Director of the gallery,  Ember walked us through a millennium within just a few square feet of space. 

The spirit of forever is how I felt when I left.  

For how long have you been here?  Since forever ago.

And how long will you exist?  Forever.  

There was a Nisenan child born just last year. The Nisenan are here alive and among us. 

On the left is a woven basket created by the great grandmother of Shelly (the executive director of the Uba Seo Gallery).  On the right is a glass artist’s replica created for the annual Visibility Through Art project.

Like many of us humans, the woven basket, though old, torn and broken is still here and still treasured.           

The Nisenan People were erased on paper. Terminated.  That is the term used by the US government.  Many tribes were ‘terminated’ from existence by government orders. It wasn’t until the early 1970s under President Nixon that this practice of “termination” was ended. And yet, there was no reversal or restoration.  Just an end to the practice of “termination.”  At that time, tribes who had been ‘terminated’ could begin a process of applying for restoration.  As we see, some were.  This is why they have a reservation separate and sovereign from US territory.  The Nisenan, however, have not been granted that status yet.  The Nisenan are being told that they are not eligible to be restored due to an expiration of a statute of limitations.  

 Ember acted as our tour guide from the beginning, through the devastating times of the 1850s, through the language, culture, politics, architecture and art. She unhesitatingly fielded every question the audience of about 25 offered. There was a Nisenan child born just last year. I know this because one of the audience questions was “How many Nisenan make up the tribe today?”  Ember not only knew that it was 145 but also knew that the youngest child is about 1 ½ yrs old.  At the end, I already wanted to hug her when she said “I’m not a historian.”  I interrupted, and erupted with “Oh yes you are!”  Which created a well deserved applause from the intimate audience. 

Please consider taking time from your busy holiday by visiting Uba Seo Gallery. Check out their short operating hours here.  

This Friday November 26, 2022 is Nisenan Heritage Day.  It will be an online event.

Here’s a travel tip from me to you.  If you can’t make it to one of Ember’s tours, then consider a virtual tour beforehand by following these QR codes which I photographed throughout the exhibit.  Then head out there and see some of the exhibit pieces on your own.  You will be glad that you self educated beforehand. 

EVEN MORE virtual information connected with this diamond!

Visibility Through ArtVisibility Through Art Destruction of the Land | Destruction of the People, Friday, July 30, 2021, 12 - 4pm - Community Calendar - KNCOKNCO
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This post is absolutely NO REPLACEMENT for touring the gallery in person. There is a wealth of information and beautiful spirit emanating from the space. I can not do it justice nor replicate that which must be felt rather than spoken or written. 

Please let me know what you know about the Nisenan or other tribes.  Let me know what you learned or were reminded of by this post and the links shared.  If you manage to make it to the Uba Seo Gallery, I would LOVE to hear about your experience in the comments below. 

See my other post about Thanksgiving Traditions.

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THE SEEING EYE

Morristown NJ

“Neither charity nor pity…but a normal life like normal people…with the independence to come and go as I please.” -Morris Frank

Frank Morris and Buddy Walking Tour Statue Morristown | Morristown ...

What?  NJ is not in my backyard!  True.  My parents live in Morristown and in THEIR backyard are several gems.  The Seeing Eye is the ‘grande dame’ of them all.

Of course, iconic locations such as the Statue of Liberty (and Manhattan as a whole) are REQUIRED tourist attractions.  How many of us head to see family out of state for visits and twiddle our thumbs looking for things to do once we get there?  During this pandemic, how many of you are looking for things to do in your own backyard?  My advice–not that you asked for it– think like a tourist.

A couple of years ago, there was one year I had more people come visit me than usual.  I took each and every one of them to the Golden Gate Bridge.  It became “my jam.” It’s about 2 hours from my home but…to them, it was a stunning, memorable icon of US attractions. I think I went to the GGB about 5 times that year.  I did not tire of it, neah! Instead, I was a better and better hostess each time I took the next houseguest! Each houseguest was a little different, each time I learned new avenues and new history and new things. I learned and THEY were THRILLED! By the 5th or 6th houseguest, I showed the GGB like a pro! But I digress….

So, Morristown has a few gems. The Seeing Eye campus is one of them!  If you are ever anywhere even NEAR Morristown, NJ PLEASE try to plan a Thursday visit.  It’s something you will walk away thinking you have learned something new that you didn’t know you didn’t know.

Located at 10 Washington Valley Rd. (less than 1 hr from the GW Bridge out of Manhattan)  in the rural part of Morristown.  Morristown has a city center like many other small cities however,  it extends far beyond the center into a very rural area with what I would call ‘sprawling’ homes and old estates and even older converted farm houses.  So, if you are going to visit The Seeing Eye, there are plenty of places to eat, shop, gawk and daydream as you drive down long winding country roads.  Park just about anywhere along the way and enter the 90 mile Patriot’s Path for a lovely (and EASY) hike or jog or picnic in nature.

OK…THAT’S Morristown…

The Seeing Eye.  

What I knew going in was that dog trainers (and their trainees!) are seen all over Morristown city center. I also saw from passing it on the way to my parents’ house that the headquarters is quite large.  So I googled it–60 acres! Ok, that’s a lot of land! …why so much?  I’m a scientist at heart too and scientists always start with a question.  I wondered what went on in this complex that utilized 60 acres?! Inquiring minds want to know. So on one visit to my parents’ we called and reserved a spot on the weekly Thursday tour.   My son is a veritable Dr. Doolittle and he was THRILLED throughout the entire tour.  My parents who have lived in Morristown for close to 30 years–and my own mother who is a real bunny hugger–had never been so they too were enthralled with the time we spent there.

Watch this beautiful and brief 3 min. video produced by The Seeing Eye.

We met and convened in a conference room.  A person who adopted a dog from The Seeing Eye gave a presentation. Then a trainer told her story as well as a brief history of the founders and the foundation.  This part was quite brief, about 30 min.  We then were given a tour of the facility and grounds and even MORE information was disseminated throughout the tour.

In 50 words or less.  This place is a top rate, first class act.  The dining facilities have linen tablecloths and napkins, shiny silver, open spaces.  The grounds are beautiful and impeccably kept.  That’s all surface stuff, sure, but at the heart and core of it is the deep seated commitment to DIGNITY.  The entire campus emanates dignity. For that alone, I commend and applaud The Seeing Eye for carrying out the vision of its founders. 

Top Five Stunning Facts:

  1. All recipients of The Seeing Eye dogs only pay $150.  Bam! That’s it! Airfare is even included! Recipients live on campus for a little over one month to acclimate to a dog,  train and bond with it. The Seeing Eye is able to provide this because they thrive from a well managed endowment.
  2. All veterans pay only $1.  That’s it! BAM! BAM!!! If you or a veteran you know has impaired vision PLEASE spread the word!
  3. Are you or someone you know losing vision?  Interestingly enough, the woman who spoke to our group didn’t “look blind.”  At the end of her presentation she addressed that.  She said, “I know some of you are thinking that I don’t look like I’m blind.”  (Talk about transparency!) Turns out she had gone blind over the past several years.  She staved it off with denial for years and was hit by an electric car coming out of a driveway one day.  After healing, she returned to her denial and again, walking down the street she was hit by another electric car.  Turns out, electric cars make little to no noise, so she doesn’t HEAR them coming, they SEE her coming and assume she will stop and misunderstandings can be deadly.  So after the 2nd incident, she contacted The Seeing Eye.
  4. All other dogs are called Service Dogs.  Only dogs from The Seeing Eye are called Seeing Eye dogs.  They have trademarked the term.
  5. To keep the breeds pure. The Seeing Eye breeds and trains all their own dogs. They don’t adopt from anywhere. They began with only German Shepherds and now include Golden Retrievers as well.  These are the only 2 breeds they use.
  6. BONUS FACT!  Nearby families (within driving distance) can sign up as puppy trainers. This is an important part of the program because it’s important that puppies are loved and acclimated to human families at an early age.  Maybe your family can adopt a puppy temporarily with a purpose! GREAT lesson for kids (of all ages!)

Do you want to read a little more about the history of The Seeing Eye before going? Read more about the founders Morris Frank and Dorothy Eustis.

Do you have a hidden gem in YOUR backyard? Maybe you’d like to write a guest post and tell us all about it here! (Send me an email or PM on FB.) Our globe is shrinking even more during this pandemic and you don’t know what folks around you don’t know!

Do you know of great places in Morristown to spend the night or have a meal? Do have experience with service dogs? Please comment or ASK AWAY below!

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Dia de los Muertos

I would like to thank the Mexican people for ALL you bring to us from sea to shining sea (of course the SHINING sea is over here in California!) and now especially….

My new favorite holiday.  

 For some reason, after a few years of learning more and more about this festival, THIS year, it really sunk it’s teeth into my soul. Making beauty from our ashes and joy from our mourning. 

As a child I looked forward to Halloween.  As a mom, not so much. My kids, as kids, they are OK with it.  My first born was totally NOT into it as a child but is COMPLETELY into it as an adult.  My younger son, now 11, was too cool for candy this year. I couldn’t even motivate him to put on a hat nor mask and go to the trunk or treat 400 meters away!  Not even for candy! 

So, when I went to see what there was to see downtown for Dia de los Muertos that hook hooked me but good!  

I found several events happening from the events pages on facebook.  (In case you didn’t know, this is a GREAT place to sit in bed on a Saturday morning wondering what to do for the day-then jump up and GO! Of course one COULD plan in advance but hey….I’m a teacher, single mom living on a shoestring budget of both money AND time….so go read my blog post on GRACE and give me some!) 

My BFF and I headed out with a couple of addresses.  We couldn’t find the Latino Center for Arts and Culture and then realized that we had attended last year so we crossed it off our list and moved on to venue #2.  

Although I highly recommend stopping in at the Latino Center of Arts and Culture, the venue is beyond Old Sacramento proper.  About 2 miles so unless you like to wander somewhat aimlessly and have lots of time, I suggest driving. It has its own parking.   Find out ahead of time what is going on and get there EARLY or on time because there are GREAT things to see and DO here for kids.  Last year it got crowded after about an hour and arts and crafts supplies started running out. Once you’ve seen all there is to see do and here, you can head to Old Town and/or Downtown areas. 

So, venue #2 on our list  was sponsored by Sol Collective and held in the beautiful Old Sacramento.  There were many beautiful crafts and altars (called ‘offrendas’ in Spanish). The plaza was lined with booths.  There was a stage ground with Ballet Folklorico dancers.  I DO LOVE traditional dances–Irish, jitterbug, line dancing, swing, tango, Flamenco, Tarantella—I do just LOVE them all! 

At this venue there were food trucks with lots of places to sit and enjoy a meal.  My birthday was last week and although I have decided NOT to celebrate until my life’s hiccup is over and behind me, my BFF has been bugging me about taking me out to dinner for my birthday.  We saw most of what there was to see and she said that she didn’t see my birthday dinner as coming from a food truck, but we were both really hungry and if that’s what I wanted it was totally up to me.  We sucked it up like buttercups and moved on to the 3rd venue on our list.

Midtown.  

THIS is where the magic happened! 

As accidental tourists in our own town, we drove by my son’s comedy hotspot venue (unsolicited shout out to The Comedy Spot which has nothing to do with my blog but all to do with my heart!) And there, right there, as I said  “OH! There’s Tomas’s hang out, The Comedy Spot”…we couldn’t miss it because the street was blocked off by the police right in front of us so one couldn’t even GET to The Comedy Spot if they tried!  We quickly found parking at a hilarious public parking lot just a block away.  Wish I had taken a picture of the pay spot because the owners are clearly anarchists when it comes to fighting off technology–but that’s a whole other blog post–my hats off to them! 

Are you following along with me?  We parked and then walked back in the direction of The Comedy Spot to run right smack dab into The Procession.  There was a wild person with a cracking whip, tap dancing-side stepping horses with their caballeros, Mayan dancers, Ballet Folklorico (folk dancers) yellers & screamers and a Mexican marching band.  Do you wanna hear a good Mariachi Band? Tonight was NOT the night. That was the ONE thing that I did not see nor hear all night. 

Seriously talented tap dancing horse!

We shot and filmed segments for your viewing pleasure here with our crappy smartphones.  Next year I will go with my camera and some intent to do justice to the beauty surrounding us.

There was one area full of booths selling arts, crafts and merch.  I’m rather particular at craft fairs. I’m crafty myself and if I can make it, I’m not going to buy it.  I go to craft fairs looking for unique items and inspiration. So, I DIDN’T purchase any head dresses… but I did purchase hand crafted cross–because I love hearts and crosses and I can’t make this cross…very easily anyway. 

We’ll be ready with head dresses next year!
Pretty sure I’m going to create head dresses for us next year.

Connected but separate was another area of offrendas and alters that families had set up.  Below are some of my favorites. Again, I only brought my crappy cell phone with me so I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures because I’d rather have no photo than a low quality photo.  

There was a community altar with supplies to write a note to our own loved ones.  We each added a tribute to a specific loved one, and I’ll be damned if I didn’t feel the presence of mine the next day while I was getting groceries.  

We were STARVING at this point.  So we meandered around a few city blocks.  Of course all the Mexican restaurants were packed full.  We had Cantina Alley on our list to eat at, however there was a 1 hour wait.  So we wandered some more.  

Weigh laid-even though we were STARVING at this point…we stumbled upon Kulture  which my co-worker had mentioned to me.  And we dipped in here as well. It was NOT to dissappoint!  Absolutely gorgeous alter. And this lovely family. Again, not too many pictures because of the low quality of my crappy cell phone. 

Trattoria style dining
Again, my crappy smartphone does not do justice to how beautiful these crosses are.
Amazing alter

We ended up at Burger Patch.  My BFF is vegan and gluten free and I LOVE a good burger.  The burger here was amaze-balls! She was a little disappointed to take me to my birthday dinner at a burger stand but I was perfectly happy and in case I didn’t mention it…we were STARVING at this point.  We had burgers and their apple pie milkshake. The shake was great because it wasn’t too sugary. I don’t eat a lot of sugar-try not to anyway-and so many things are just loaded with sugar and that sugary taste that the guilt overtakes me and I have trouble really enjoying what I’m eating.  This vegan shake though was not too sweet so I was able to sip away, guilt free…like I was filling my body with health food instead of junk-foody desert that I would have to exercise off later. (Hey, some of you know the huge ‘hiccup’ in my life at the moment so cut me some slack.) 

If you didn’t know, Dia de los Muertos, (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition of remembering, honoring and celebrating loved ones who have passed on.   Watch the movie Coco for some fun ideas surrounding the beliefs that our ancestors affect us even from several generations passed. Or some children’s books , or some more  or watch this video on a wonderful modern history of the celebration or this one on the significance of the butterfly (this one isn’t subtitled so enjoy the videography first and then let the thread fly-pun intended- or start searching youtube for other butterfly references to Dia de los Muertos.)  Forgive me but I teach 2nd grade and it’s all about rainbows, butterflies and soccer…not to mention All you need to know or Simon & Garfunkel’s Everything You Needed to know tends to get over shadowed by crap later on.  But do NOT miss the humor in this! Cuz if you can’t laugh at yourself then you end up laughing at others, and that’s just rude! (WARNING: be sure you don’t have a drink in your mouth because you might spit it out laughing out loud and ruin your computer.)