Newsletter: 'It’s all about community:' Sycuan Cultural Resource Center celebrates Kumeyaay New Year
Plus, celebrate the 50th anniversary of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show" with a local shadowcast this Friday.
Håfa adai, everyone!
Monday night, I went to the Sycuan Cultural Resource Center and Museum to learn about the Kumeyaay New Year and Kupiihaaw (Fall Equinox).
The night was calm during an intimate gathering for the Kumeyaay holiday.
Gourd rattles shook during bird song performances while people made crafts, shared food and connected with one another.
Compared to the Gregorian Calendar that celebrates the new year when most plant life are dormant or dead, Sycuan Cultural Resource Center Director Charlene Elliott said the Kumeyaay New Year marks the time their plant relative, the acorn, is ready to be harvested. The acorn is a delicacy among the Kumeyaay people.
Kupiihaaw represents not only the changing of the seasons, Elliott said, but also renewal, remembrance of their old ones, sustenance and an opportunity for community to connect.
Her daughter, Harmony Sweetgrass said she was happy to see people come to the center and celebrate the new year with them.
“Seeing new faces, especially the youth, it just warms my heart that they’re even interested,” she said.
The Kumeyaay people look up to the stars to find the constellation Emuu (Orion's Belt) reaching its peak before dawn to signal fall’s arrival.
Holding her six-month-old daughter, Sweetgrass spoke about the intelligence of her ancestors, admiring the way they followed the seasons through the constellations. As she shared about her community’s traditions, she smiled at her daughter, who she named Emaay, the Kumeyaay word for “Sky.”
As someone who is proud of her Kumeyaay heritage, she finds joy in getting people together and celebrating the new year while acknowledging their ancestral ties to the land.
Bernice Paipa, cultural resource specialist at the resource center, shared that sentiment and said the gathering was also a time of reflection. She said they listen to bird song performances illustrating the Kumeyaay creation story to remember their old ones and how to live in a good way as community members.
“First for yourself, that you live in a good way, then for your family and for your community,” she said. “It’s all about community with the Kumeyaay Nation. That’s how we’ve been able to survive for so long and be a strong nation.”
Jessica Hurtado came to the event with her son, Aaron Hernandez, to learn more about the community around them.
“I try to teach my boys to honor the lands we learn on,” she said.
Being a part of the Dehesa School District, she said she saw this event as an opportunity to teach them that.
Elliott’s earliest memory celebrating the Kumeyaay New Year was as an adult. Although her family always acknowledged this time of the year, she said there weren’t facilities like the Sycuan Cultural Resource Center and Museum when she was younger to provide opportunities to gather as a community.
Since she was 12, Sweetgrass has attended gatherings like Monday’s. Knowing her culture has played a pivotal role in her upbringing.
Now, she is excited to teach her daughter about the ways of her people.
“It is really important to me because being Kumeyaay isn’t just a hobby to me,” she said. “It’s a lifestyle that I want to teach my kids as well.”
— Brittany Cruz-Fejeran
Crazed Imaginations celebrates the 50-year anniversary of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” with a special shadowcast performance in Encinitas Friday night. Expect costumes, callbacks, flying toilet paper and to dance to the “Time Warp” as fans head to La Paloma Theatre for a night of camp, community and “absolute pleasure.”
— Lauren J. Mapp
A glimpse of East Coast performing arts
The Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego is currently hosting the Alex Katz: Theater and Dance exhibition, a celebration of the renowned East Coast artist’s work with the performing arts community over the course of 60 years. The exhibit, co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Colby College Museum of Art, gives a unique look into Katz’s involvement in theater and dance, especially in collaboration with choreographer Paul Taylor from Paul Taylor Dance Company in New York.
— Brittany Cruz-Fejeran
ICE raids increase stress, anxiety in Latino communitiesMental health professionals and organizations have seen an increase in stress, anxiety, fear and anger over immigration raids among their Latino patients since June. That’s when the Trump administration began an aggressive ramp-up of immigration enforcement operations that has sent heavily armed, masked federal agents into communities across Southern California to round up people for deportation.
— Story by George B. Sánchez-Tello, Capital & Main
California targets labor traffickers
Some foreign workers are abused once they arrive in the U.S., even when they come legally on a work visa. A bill introduced by California Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San José) in February aims to protect workers like Guanzon from exploitation by unscrupulous foreign labor recruiters.
— Story by Larry Buhl, Capital & Main
This weekend, San Diegans are hosting a night of Lotería at Mujeres Brew House, a special 50th anniversary performance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in Encinitas and a swing dancing event at University of California San Diego.
— Lauren J. Mapp
Other news
All lanes on northbound Interstate 5 from Interstate 8 to Mission Bay Drive will be closed for roadwork and culvert replacement beginning Friday night, according to KPBS. The closure will start at 9 p.m. Friday and will continue through 5 a.m. Monday.
Homeland Security bypass environmental laws to build more border barriers in the San Diego area, inewsource reported. The decision comes amid record lows for unauthorized border crossings into the United States, and at a time when the number of immigrants in the country is declining for the first time in five decades.
October is Kids Free Month in San Diego. Accompanied by a paying adult, kids can get free meals, perks and more at participating restaurants, hotels, parks and museums. The San Diego Tourism Authority has a full list of locations.
Upcoming Events
Sept. 26
Lotería: Mujeres Brew House is hosting an evening of lotería, a Mexican game of chance similar to bingo that is played with illustrated cards instead of numbered balls. There will also be a piñata and candy for kids. 6 p.m., 1983 Julian Ave, San Diego, CA 92113
'Rocky Horror' 50th Anniversary: Crazed Imaginations is hosting a special screening and performance of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas. The evening will include a special pre-show performance along with a con-style cast with different cast members portraying the characters throughout the show. Reserve tickets for $17 each online. Prop bags can be purchased for $5 at the theater. 10:30 p.m., La Paloma Theatre, 471 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
Sept. 27
Kayaking to Clean Our Wetlands: SanDiego350 and Ocean Connectors are co-hosting a wetlands cleanup in Chula Vista. Kayaking equipment, including life jackets, will be provided. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bayside Park, 999 Bayside Pkwy., Chula Vista, CA 91910
San Diego Sustainable Food Festival: Viridian Productions is presenting a celebration of sustainable foods with more than 100 vendors in Balboa Park. The event includes chef demonstrations, food and beverage samples, an artisan marketplace, games and live DJs. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Presidents Way Lawn, Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
Sept. 28
Water Gardening Basics: City Farmers Nursery is welcoming people to a class on creating healthy aquatic environments for plants and wildlife. The workshop will touch on both designing a pond or water feature and maintenance. The event is free, 9-10 a.m., 3110 Euclid Ave., San Diego, CA 92105
Want to support our efforts to bring Daylight to San Diego?
- Subscribe to our newsletter so you’re the first to know when we publish content or announce upcoming listening sessions.
- Consider making a tax-deductible donation to our support our work on Givebutter. A huge shoutout to everyone who has made a donation toward our goal of raising $50,000 this summer to support our journalism.
- If you have an idea or pitch that you think will interest other San Diegans, tell us about it!
- Do you have an upcoming event to promote? We can add it to our events calendar! If you are hosting public events, let us help you get the word out by using our submissions form.
- We are continuing to accept submissions to our Daylight San Diego Community Survey to help shape our work.
- Hit the follow button on our social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook and YouTube) and share our page with your own community within the region.
