Native Spirits Rising

Bird songs are the traditional social songs that speak of the origins of the Cahuilla people of Southern California, their mythic or actual travels during ancient times, and describe their natural environment and its inhabitants. The evolution of bird songs themselves and how they are sung depict and serve as a metaphor for the changes in Cahuilla culture today. The story of the Bird Songs, their history, their almost disappearing, their resurgence and their import for the Cahuilla of today is told by members (elders, tribal leaders, young people and bird singers} of the Cahuilla community themselves.