by BJ Beauchamp
A young Indian boy sat with his grandfather. He turned to look up at his grandfather and saw him looking very far and away. “What do you see Grandfather?”
Without looking at the boy the old man replied, “I was being quiet as you must be when the fairies and spirits talk to us.”
“Are they evil spirits?” the boy asked.
“Some are, but those are not here today.” The old man tapped the boy’s nose with his finger. “Today they are talking about our ancestors.”
“Tell me what they say about them, Grandfather,” the boy urged.
The old man was only too happy to pass along the tales of those who came before them. It would be the story of evil spirits, and of fairies creating mischief.
The story began in the lands of the great water by the desert. The Indians who lived in the region were the Chumash, Alliklik, Kitanemuk, Serrano, Gabrielino Luiseno Cahuilla, and the Kumeyaay. These tribes and many more eventually became known as landless Indians.
The story told that years ago the Thunderbirds saw all that was offered by this beautiful land by the sea and were jealous of the Indians that dwelled there. The desert fairies saw an opportunity to cause mischief and one night danced around the Thunderbirds’ fire and told them that the Indians would share what they had, if the mighty Thunderbirds would help the Indians stay warm in winter. The fairies thought it to be fun to add that the Indians were lost and it would be better if the Thunderbirds gave the Indians’ life purpose. So the Thunderbirds took the land and made the Indians serve them. The Indians toiled for this master for many years and did indeed grow bitter.
It was not that the fairies were wicked or did not like the Indians; it was simply that they were bored and wanted some change in the desert. Change came, and came once more.
The fairies were truly sad that the Indians had suffered, so they enchanted the land to produce rock, stone and yellow metal which would bring others to come and drive out the Thunderbirds.
One day the Locust came, but they did not come alone, for evil spirits traveled with them, and they did cast all manner of ills to attack the Indians. There was no remedy from Mother Nature to help them, and no magic conjured up by the fairies that could cure them. More than half of the Indian population was consumed.
The Locust suffered as well for the yellow metal so eagerly sought belonged to a demon who devoured all who searched for it. The Locust that survived, as Locust usually do, consumed all that the land offered, and pushed out the Indians.
After listening to his grandfather the boy sat thoughtfully. After a moment the boy turned to his grandfather and asked, “What became of the landless Indians?”
“They return to the homeland from time to time, like we have today.” The old man said as he waved his hand out to the crowd assembled at Dodger Stadium. As play was set to resume after the seventh inning stretch, the boy settled in to watch the game, when a thought occurred to him. “Grandfather, what name do all the landless Indians go by now?”
The old man smiled, and said, “Casino owner.”
** Note: In the 1800s the Mexican forced labor and violence at the hands of the militia and paramilitary slave hunting parties account for a significant amount of the population decline suffered by California Indians. On the eve of the American take-over of California (1848), the aboriginal population of approximately 310,000 had been reduced to about 150,000. This gut wrenching 50% decline had occurred in just 77 years.