Native American Heritage Month - Blessing, Presentation, and Film Screening (CRC)

Please join us in celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Honoring California Tribal Cultures, Traditions, and Language Revitalization!

Tuesday's Schedule of Events:

• 9:30 am - Blessing by Albert Titman Sr.
• 10:00 am to 12:00 pm - Al Striplen Presentation
• 1:00 to 2:30 pm - Screening  'A'-t'i Xwee-ghayt-nish (Still, We Live On) with guest speakers from the film

See all Native American Heritage Month Events

Guest Speakers

Albert G. Titman, Nisenan/Miwok/Maidu/Pit River CADCII. Deputy Director for the Native Dads Network and formerly Associate Director of Cultural Integration and Development at Sprenger behavioral Medicine for the TeleWell Indian Health MAT project. He is a Registered Addiction Specialist through the Breining Institute of CA and a State Board CCAPP Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor CADC II. He also provides alcohol/drug abuse assessments, diagnosis, and treatment to individuals, couples, families, and groups to achieve more satisfying and productive marriage, family, and social adjustment. He enjoys Miwok traditional ceremonial singing and dancing and cooking for his family.

Albert provides culturally sensitive services and is blessed with the opportunity to incorporate Native American wellness modalities in his work. He is currently a trainer for White Bison’s Wellbriety Training Institute, and has over 18 years experience in implementing the Medicine Wheel & 12 Steps program in his community. He is a respected elder within the community.

Al Striplen: I am of Amah Mutsun Ohlone (California Native) and Aztec heritage and hold an M.A. in Counseling. As a university counselor and Native Studies professor, I devoted my career to advocating for diverse communities and Native American families. I am also an artist, musician, author, and illustrator.

In my lifetime I have been fortunate to find teachers, guides, and Shamans who invited me to join in many experiences and adventures. I use my experience with those amazing individuals and the teachings of Nature to help others bring about positive change in themselves that, I believe, ultimately affects us all.

As a docent at the State Indian Museum in Sacramento I play and teach Native flute, and share stories about Native cultures and my spiritual journey.

Guylish Bommelyn descends from the Dee-ni’ and Karuk peoples in his ancestral homelands of Northern California. He is an enrolled Citizen of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation. He grew up steeped in the culture and language of his people. He is also a member of a ceremonial family and learned at a young age how vital his responsibilities are for the continuance of those he descends from. He holds culture, ceremonies, and language in the utmost reverence. Guylish has been instrumental in helping his community improve their health and wellness. His focus on nutrition, physical activity, and strength has changed how his people live their daily lives for the better. Through his outdoor activism, he has continued his work on the community's health and our environment’s wellness as well. Guylish grew up in a home where Dee-ni' came before English. Language has always been an important part of his life. He began an active part in language restoration and continuance in high school. As an adult, he became very focused on teaching when he started working for his tribe. For the last 12 years, he has been actively learning more language and teaching to the community and students. He has also worked with groups from Head Start, High School, and community classes. Guylish is a natural teacher with patience and an ability to help his students truly learn language and culture.

Marva Sii~xuutesna Jones is a Nii~lii~chvndvn (Tolowa) Dee-ni'|Yurok|Karuk|Wintu Ancestral Worldview Activist and the mother of three beautifully rooted children; Ch'vski (26), Nants'vn (19) and Teexeeshe' (16) and grandmother of Yaame'ta (2). She was raised in her maternal village, Nii~lii~chvndvn, and also comes from the villages of 'Enchwa, Mvn'sr'ayme', Wohsekw, Wechpues, and Asamnih.

She attended Humboldt State University with an emphasis on Native American Studies. Still, her life's purposeful enrichment comes from her rooted upbringing of commitment and responsibility to uphold, strengthen, and enhance Indigenous worldview pedagogy, sustainability, spiritual practices, approaches, and techniques which uphold and respect her lineage; Indigenous, environmental and social activism; her maternal Tolowa language, local ancestral food practices, sustenance, values, love, presence, healing, and resiliency.

Sii~xuutesna was raised in a first language master speaker home of her day-sri maternal grandmother, Eunice Xashweetesna Bommelyn, the last L1 speaker of the Tolowa Dee-ni' language, who was a strong matriarch of her deeply rooted care and practice of carrying on as a humble and committed Indigenous woman.

Sii~xuutesna has significant experience and skills in decolonizing Western approaches, advancing Indigenous healing through ancestral values, and community-building, with a local-rooted approach at the forefront.

Hosted by Cosumnes River College. All Los Rios students, faculty, and staff are welcome.