With all the summer and fall festivals and events in Del Norte County, none offer as much natural beauty in the open ocean air as those hosted by Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation at the site of their new community building on South Indian Road.
Last Saturday, Natives of various tribes had vendor booths lines up with one-of-a kind crafted items as well as informative booths on everything from wildlife preservation to family wellness. The event had giant blow up jump houses fashioned as a dragon, cultural demonstrations, traditionally cooked salmon and sand bread samples, food and craft vendors, kid activities, and tournaments including gambling, stick games and horseshoes.
Walking inside the community building, with walls lined with black and white pictures and stories of prominent tribal members past, the community center opens up to breathtaking views of the rocky Pacific ocean coastline that one might find on the cover of a magazine. It’s picturesque window scene had in front of it set ups of beautiful traditional Tolowa dresses and regalia as well as a basketry so ornate, it transports you backwards in time to this very place not more than a mere 200 years ago. To see that women still took pride in creating such beautiful pieces of art out of things collected from this very land is inspiring, to say the least.
These baskets, caps, dresses, and regalia are such an important part of the ongoing battle to preserve indigenous culture that to see them outside glass in a museum was a treat all in it’s own the Tolowa Dee-Ni’ afforded us. All-in all, this family fun event was exactly that with something to keep everyone engaged in.