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Fred Nason, Tom Little Bear Nason's father, once owned large areas of land, as his ancestors did. Their Esselen heritage has been traced back to the original Esselen Tribe. He stands in front of the Tribal Hogan at the Window to the West homesite. |
27 cultural archeological sites, many of them sacred to the Esselen Native Americans and all of cultural importance to California's indigenous heritage will be lost if the proposed new Los Padres Dam is built.
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Fred Nason, Tom Little Bear Nason's father, once owned large areas of land, as his ancestors did. Their Esselen heritage has been traced back to the original Esselen Tribe. He stands in front of the Tribal Hogan at the Window to the West homesite. |
"Fred Nason" © 1999 Helene Constant
"We have always wronged the Indian but the greatest wrongs we are doing him today are born of our misunderstanding of him. The hardest of his manifold misfortunes came through the ever-changing policies by which we managed him after he had been fully conquered. We have ever been and still are vacillating and uncertain in our dealings with him, just as instability of method in the conduct of its commerce would ruin any business corporation".
- Edward S. Curtis
Photographer, Western Indians, early 1900's
"Little Bear" © 1999 Peter Hughes
"Hogan, Esselen Tribe" © 1999 Helene Constant
"I am writing this on behalf of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. The Esselen Tribe is under attack by yet more oppression from the modern world. Their sacred lands, ancient culture and community is being threatened by a proposed dam building project.
We desperately need a community arts project that clearly depicts the impact this proposed project would have on our community and environment. This arts project can also help spread the message of healing, hope and insight to all who come into contact with it.
As a Native American who has witnessed so much loss of our culture and sacredness of our Mother Earth, I call upon you to support this project by funding this creative and healing project that promises to bring healing to our community and environment."
- Saleki Asatsa
Tom Little Bear Nason
Esselen Tribal Chairman
Window to the West, Inc.
Phone: (831) 659-2153
email: Ventana@nativeguides.com
Website: www.nativeguides.com
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