Customs and TraditionsBasketry
Basketry, tukmalum, is one of the Pechanga tribe's most cherished skills. The magnificent quality of all Luiseño basketry, with exceedingly tight weaves and beautiful textural designs, is renowned not only in the Southern California Tribal community, but worldwide. The Pechanga Cultural Center and Government Center, located on the reservation, displays a number of Pechanga's preserved and restored baskets, among other historical artifacts.
Traditional Pechanga weaving techniques share many similarities with other Tribes of California. Construction is usually coil or a grass bundle wrapped with a lace made from various plants. Weaving laces are usually made from Juncus or Sumac. The grass bundles are made from deergrass.
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04Basketry is more than just weaving. It represents a balance with the environment, seasonal collecting, material preparation, aging and dying. Today, the weaver is in constant search for the best material, which may be the result of a prime location. More often it is the outcome of special care given by the weaver. This includes annual harvesting or pruning, burning when possible, and polite conversation: a good weaver will always talk to the plants and share the news of the day. Some of these plants are hundreds of years old and have been visited by several generations of weavers so they know us well.
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07Basket Bowl, Luiseño, mid-20th century
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15One of the most common basket designs is the flower or star pattern. Most observers perceive this as one of the simplest weaving designs. In fact, it is one of the most difficult because it requires a five point proportionate pattern.
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Our baskets are integral to our culture, our people, tradition, environment and rich history. Baskets have always been more than just simple utensils — although functional as the core utilitarian tools of daily living. Their intricate designs often capture an event in time, telling a story (often known only to the weaver) or revealing the territory of the weaver and their clan. And while some baskets have designs that are quite intricate, others are simple. The shapes of the baskets are also as varied as the many designs found in the baskets, and the people who make them.
A Basket Revitalization
Amongst many Tribal nations, basketry weaving, practiced since time immemorial, is enjoying a contemporary resurgence. Tribal people have always held a desire to protect and revitalize this important element of California Indian Culture. Now many modern weavers are finally receiving proper compensation for their work. Years and often decades of weaving develop one's reputation as a weaver — let alone eventual teacher.
Pechanga basketweavers, like those from many Tribes, face the constant challenge of finding places to gather basket materials, and some have become vocal advocates of sustainable land use. Their work educates agencies, environmental groups and the public about traditional plant management techniques as practiced by Native American basketweavers. Through methods such as pruning, digging, sowing, burning and selective harvesting, they show how optimum plant growth and desired characteristics are achieved.
As most traditional gathering sites have been lost to private property ownership, development, agriculture, and so on, some California native basketweavers, as de facto site monitors, have initiated an open dialogue with agencies such as the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation. The first Basketweavers Gathering in 1991, an inter-Tribal effort, created a forum where basketweavers could speak directly to representatives of public land agencies. Their work helps to affect change in state and national environmental policies while bringing an increased knowledge of the value of traditional native land/resource management priorities and practices for use in a variety of projects.
The Pechanga tribe honors all peoples who are dedicated to the path and vigilance required to become a weaver.
Cooking in a Basket
How does one cook in a basket made from botanical materials?
Even though many baskets are adorned with intricate designs, they often enjoy daily use. Seemingly fragile, these baskets could be often subjected to daily routines of abuse that would eventually wear down even the sturdiest of metal pots.
Water can be boiled in a basket by simply dropping hot rocks into the water and keeping the rocks moving so that they do not burn the basket. Porridges such as acorn mush and cherry pit mush are cooked in this same manner. Parching trays are used to roast seeds and nuts. This is done by mixing in hot coals with the nuts or seeds and requires that the cook keep the tray moving so that the coals do not burn through the basket.