Help With Campground Beautification Day at Red Rock Canyon State Park

Join Red Rock Canyon State Park staff and volunteers on Saturday October 4th at 9 a.m. for a campground beautification day! The public is invited to help with repair projects to get the park ready for the fall season, such as litter removal, realigning rock rings, and replacing parking blocks. Get your hands dirty improving the park in time for our second busy season of the year.

Red Rock Canyon State Park is located on Highway 14 between Mojave and Ridgecrest. Check in for this event at the park Visitor Center at the end of Abbot Drive, off Highway 14. Volunteers of all physical abilities are welcome. Bring work gloves, water, your lunch, and layered clothing; a hat and sunscreen are also recommended. Minors may participate if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, or youth groups may be approved in advance.

Public guided hikes on our ½ mile nature trail loop will also be offered at 9 a.m. Saturday mornings, October 11^th – November 29^th beginning at the Visitor Center.

Hundreds of movies and commercials have been filmed at this park, known for its dramatic scenery and colorful geology.  For more information about the park or this event, visit www.parks.ca.gov, www.facebook.com/RedRockCanyonStatePark, or www.RedRockRRCIA.org, or call (661) 946-6900.

American Indian Celebration at Antelope Valley Indian Museum SHP

The annual American Indian Celebration at Antelope Valley Indian Museum returns on October 4 and 5, 2014, from 11AM to 4 PM. Admission is $8 for adults (cash only). Children age 12 and under are free. Parking is free. Proceeds from the event will be used by Friends of the Antelope Valley Indian Museum to support museum programs.

This year we welcome the Little Creek Lodge Singers drum group from Tule River. They play in the Northern Traditional style. Native dancers are encouraged to join us and should contact the museum at 661-946-3055 prior to October 3 for complementary admission. Danza Azteca Xochipilli will return this year to share Aztec culture and dances. Be prepared to join them in the friendship dance! Ted and Dennis Garcia will share traditional stories from their Chumash culture.

If you need to refuel after participating in the friendship dance, visit Cecelia Begay’s booth to purchase Indian tacos and fry bread. The Friends of the Antelope Valley Indian Museum will have cold beverages, gelato, and sorbet for sale. These frozen treats will be created especially for this event by chef Tai Kim of Scoops.

Your favorite Native artists Cydnee Ashmore, Cecelia and Paul Begay, Alex Littlebow, Nadiya Littlewarrior, Michael Chas Williams, and Judy Einboden will sell jewelry, beadwork, gourd art, paintings, and crafts at the event. Mike Thompson will demonstrate flint knapping. Torres Martinez Tribal TANF and American Indian Families Partnership will be available to answer questions about assistance for Native families.

The museum will be open and staffed with knowledgeable museum docents. Families will enjoy trying their hand at pounding acorns and pine nuts at the touch table exhibit in Joshua Cottage.

The museum is located at 15701 East Avenue M, in Lake Los Angeles, east of Lancaster, California. From the 14 Freeway in Lancaster, go east on Avenue K to 150th Street East, then follow the signs to the museum. For more information, phone the museum at (661) 946-3055, 711, TTY relay service, or visit our website at www.avim.parks.ca.gov.

Tomo-Kahni 20th Anniversary Celebration in Tehachapi

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the founding of Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park and its recent designation as California Historical Landmark No. 1054, California State Parks and the Nüwa (Kawaiisu) community will host a celebration at Centennial Plaza in Tehachapi on Saturday, October 18.

Festivities will kick off at the plaza at 11 a.m. with the dedication and unveiling of the California Historical Landmark plaque, representing 20 years of preservation and interpretation of the Sand Canyon Indian village that the Nüwa called their “Winter Home”. The dedication ceremony will include a Nüwa Indian blessing.

Ongoing activities at Centennial Plaza include American Indian lifeways demonstrations such as basket and mat weaving, acorn processing, and construction of clapper sticks and miniature cradleboards.  Peruse booths featuring local California State Parks information, educational displays, Nüwa crafts and gifts, Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park tour information, and more.  Enjoy storytelling by Nüwa Elder Luther Girado, and California State Parks History presentations with Interpreter Jean Rhyne as Harriet “Petey” Weaver, the first female California State Park Ranger. Presentations will alternate throughout the day during the event.

In addition to the 20th anniversary of Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park, 2014 also marks the 150th anniversary of the California State Park System, beginning in 1864 and now encompassing 280 parks representing the incredible diversity and unique natural and cultural features of California.

For more information about the Tomo-Kahni State Historic Park 20th Anniversary Celebration, call Jean Rhyne at 661-946-6900 or email Jean.Rhyne@parks.ca.gov.  Visit us on the web at www.parks.ca.gov and www.Facebook.com/TomoKahni.

When: Saturday, October 18

11 a.m.—4 p.m.

Where: Centennial Plaza: 112 South Green Street, Tehachapi