CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Peyii ‘Enyeway ‘Esekáayches:
We Are Still Here!
“Cancel Culture” is the idea that someone or something is ostracized from social or professional circles. Those who are subject to this ostracism are said to have been “cancelled.” The dominant party does the “cancelling.” In Culture Class, we realized that “Cancel Culture” really is not new but the way it manifests is different over time. Modern “Cancel Culture” can happen online or on social media. Today we use the term “PC” to describe things you should and should not say or do. Years ago, it looked like book banning. Racism. In our history, it looks like assimilation strategies and genocide. We have struggled to adapt to each wave of newcomers to our land, each wave wanting to “cancel” our culture.
Much of our difficult history has been glossed over, forgotten over time, or it has been interpreted by others without our input in very ethnocentric ways. examines our history from our perspective. Despite terrible hardships and destruction of our once-idyllic lifestyle, we persevered. We adapted. We survived. We are still here!
Although it is hard for us to put this timeline of seemingly never-ending destructive events together, to be immersed in the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts about how our ancestors barely existed at times, there is catharsis in educating others and finally being able to tell our story without the fear of cancellation. Our history is not adequately taught in schools. You might learn something about us today that you did not know before your visit. You might have heard bits of our history told a little differently. Explore our way of knowing who we are and the course of events that bring us to where we are today.
These beautiful Kumeyaay/Diegueño artifacts are on loan to Barona from the San Diego Museum of Man. They have rarely been seen and a majority of the objects have never been on exhibit before. Take this opportunity to see these lovely pieces, including rattlesnake baskets and a hopper mortar.
Photo courtesy of the San Diego Museum of Man
A Visit From Old Friends -
From the Vaults of the
San Diego Museum of Man
Barona Veteran's Wall of Honor
Barona Veterans’ Wall of Honor (2000 to present)
Here at Barona Indian Reservation, we recognize more than fifty veterans who have served our country. They include both tribal members and community members. (Community members are Indian relatives not from this reservation or non-Indian relatives of Tribal members.)
We especially honor Barona Veterans who received high honors for bravery in battle. Counted among them are six Purple Hearts recipients from this reservation and numerous medals of recognition. With family permission, we name those no longer living who received high commendations in wartime.
The Barona members are: Charles Curo: American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal; Eugene Curo, Occupation of Germany, Victory American Theatre, American Defense, Distinguished Service Medal[WWII]; Frank LaChappa, Purple Heart [Battle of the Bulge, WWII]; Tommy LaChappa, Purple Heart [Vietnam]; and Alfred Rodriguez, Purple Heart [Inch’on, Korea].
The community members are William Adams, Purple Heart [WWII]; John Means, Purple Heart [Vietnam]; and Bob Sloan, Purple Heart and Bronze Star [WWII].
'Ekur 'emaayaayp
Barona Indian Reservation,
A Story of 75 Years of Unity
A history grows and prospers through the telling from one generation to the next. This timeline exhibit tells the story of the Barona people and their Reservation.
The people have 'Ekur 'emaayaayp (stayed together) through the years; during difficult times and good times, they have grown and prospered. Barona Indian Reservation is celebrating 75 years since the people moved here from Capitan Grande. In 1875, the United States formalized the government at Capitan Grande and it entered into the new reservation system. When the people moved to Barona in 1932, the Barona Group of the Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians was formed.
The Museum has gathered a great deal of information from historic and recent interviews, archives, and family photographs to accomplish this important research. We hope this exhibition gives rise to other remembrances and that the body of history will be enhanced and grow.
The vision of a people’s history emerges in the mind’s eye of those living it—it is the historian’s task to listen and to record those memories. In this way, the Museum has been privileged to put these visions, thoughts and reminiscences together as the Barona Tribal members tell their own stories of this living history.
