The Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians celebrated their rich cultural heritage Saturday, Sept. 5, with a Séwia Kéwet fiesta at their reservation in the Santa Rosa Mountains. The event brought together tribal members and the surrounding community for a day of traditional music, dancing, food, games and crafts.
Held in the tribe’s Sew’ia Park, the gathering featured colorful vendor booths offering Native crafts, jewelry, clothing, food, beverages and handmade goods. Guests enjoyed games and entertainment while seated beneath a thatched shade cover.
Skilled Bird Singers performed traditional Cahuilla songs under an ancient oak tree. These rhythmic chants, accompanied by gourd rattles, are part of an oral tradition that has been passed down for generations, chronicling the history, creation and migration of the Cahuilla People.
The bird groups who came and shared their songs included Kim Marcus, Morongo Birdsingers, Larry Hammond, Johnny Ray Hemmers, Painiktum Singers, Blue Eagle Vigil, Intertribal Birdsingers, Kawia Bird and Little Macavs.
Peon games were played deep into the night. The Cahuilla peon game is a traditional, high-stakes Native American hand and guessing game traditionally played at night around an open fire. Supporters gather behind each team singing traditional peon songs. This year’s winners were: Boys – Santa Rosa and Men – Pala.
The hosts thanked their sister tribes and partners who helped to sponsor the event: Twenty-nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, Santa Rosa Pít Stop, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, First American Petroleum, Pechanga Band of Indians, Soboba Foundation, Santa Rosa Cahuilla Corporation, Procopio, The Iva’al Group, Aethon Security, Niagara Bottling and Neil Ruther.
The Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized tribe located in Riverside County, California. Their reservation, established in 1907, encompasses 11,021 acres in the Santa Rosa Mountains near the town of Anza. The tribe is composed of direct descendants from three Cahuilla clans: the Guanche-pakiktem, Costai-kiktem, and Sawish-pakiktem, who traditionally occupied areas such as Toro Peak, Coyote Canyon and the present-day Santa Rosa Indian Reservation.
The Séwia Kéwet fiesta serves as a vibrant reminder of the Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians’ enduring traditions and their commitment to preserving and sharing their cultural heritage with the broader community.
Michelle McMillan and Diane Sieker photos
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia.com.
