yesterday Dalia Nunez, a professional dancer, showed us the basic/core moves of salsa dancing. It was really interesting, I had a lot of fun. Some of the students in our program help to perpetuate their community through various types of cultural dance…we have students in the program who Hula dance, Jingle Dress dance, and Bird Dance. Through their various forms of dancing they are helping to keep their/our culture alive! I am both blessed and honored to be working with such a diverse group of Native youth =)

Unknown's avatar

Published by Jessica Valdez

I am a strong, proud, indigenous woman of German, Spaniard, and Native American descent. I was born and raised in Palm Springs, California however my Native ancestry traces back to the state of Texas. My tribal affiliation is that of Caddo, Comanche, and Apache. I am a former graduate of California State Polytechnic University Pomona, otherwise known as "Cal Poly Pomona." I graduated in June of 2010. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology with an emphasis on Cultural Resource Management and a minor in Native American studies. I have conducted fieldwork throughout California, including but not limited to Sage Canyon in the western Mojave desert and Catalina Island. During my time as an undergraduate, I took part in an in depth analysis and cataloguing of artifacts from an archaeological site known as SBR-270 located in Rancho Cucamonga. The analysis was published through the Society for California Archaeology and the artifacts are currently being housed by the San Bernardino County Museum where they will remain for permanent curation.

Leave a comment