Traditions that span centuries will come alive on Saturday, Jan. 25.
From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Indigenous people from Southern California and the Southwest will gather to sing and dance, celebrating their heritage. The “Singing the Birds: Bird Song and Dance Festival” will be hosted at Palm Springs High School by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and it’s open to the public, free of charge (with registration).
Bird songs have been passed down through generations—and the members of the Cahuilla tribe have lived in the area for at least 5,000 years, giving what’s now Palm Springs the name of Séc-he. When the Spanish came to the area, they translated the name, which means “boiling springs,” into Spanish: Agua Caliente.
“We left our homeland here to travel to Southwestern America, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona, like migratory birds,” said John Preckwinkle III, a Tribal Council board member and one of the singers. “Hundreds will sing and dance at the event. The songs are thousands of years old. We sing of our past, of our history.”
The traditional gourd rattle is the only instrument played at the festival. The performers sing while they sway their bodies and stomp their feet. The men’s movements often mimic birds bathing in the dirt.
“The female dance is more graceful,” Preckwinkle said. “Culturally, you begin at puberty, but in today’s society, you will see toddlers participating.”
Preckwinkle said he feels it’s his responsibility to pass down the traditions to the next generation to keep the culture alive. Few know the original Cahuilla language, and most Indigenous people now grow up speaking English or Spanish. Preckwinkle learned the language and today teaches it to members of the tribe.
Though he was brought up in Northern California, he visited the area reservation throughout his childhood with his mother and grandmother, and he said he always felt drawn to the people. About 17 years ago, he moved to Palm Springs.
“I loved the beauty of the landscape. I came home,” he said. His great-grandfather, Joseph John Patencio, was the last ceremonial singer who lived among his people.
“My great-grandparents were Native American,” he said. “My grandmother was Native American, and my grandfather was German, and my father was Native American. … It means the world to me, the history of our people and my ancestors—these songs tell the story of my people. Even though many might not understand the words, they are beautiful songs.”
The Cahuilla gather once a year, from sundown to sunrise, for three days singing and dancing.
“It’s an overwhelming sense of pride to me, keeping the traditions of my people,” Preckwinkle said. “I will continue to do it, so they don’t die out.”
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians will host the annual “Singing the Birds: Bird Song and Dance Festival” from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25, at Palm Springs High School, 2401 E. Baristo Road. The event will also feature a Native American market and a variety of food vendors. Admission is free. Register at aguacaliente.org/singingthebirds.
This story was edited on Jan. 7 to correct a typo.
