Katherine Siva Saubel
Encyclopedia
Katherine Siva Saubel was a Native American
scholar, educator, tribal leader, author
, and activist committed to preserving her Cahuilla
history, culture
and language
. Her efforts focused on preserving the language of the Cahuilla people. Saubel is acknowledged nationally and internationally as one of California
’s most respected Native American leaders. She received an honorary PhD
in philosophy
from La Sierra University
, Riverside, California
, and was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the University of California
at the University of California, Riverside
.
Saubel was an enrolled member of Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians
and has served as their tribal chairperson.
. Her mother, Melana Sawaxell, could only speak Cahuilla. Her father, Juan C. Siva, eventually mastered four languages: Cahuilla, Spanish
, Latin
, and English. While in high school, Katherine grew alarmed when she found that as she spoke Cahuilla to her friends, they would respond back to her in English. She worried that her people were losing their language. She began writing down the names and uses of the plants and herbs she learned from her mother as she gathered with her.
This notebook later became Temalpakh: (From the Earth) Cahuilla Indian knowledge and usage of plants that she collaborated on with anthropologist Dr. Lowell John Bean for ten years and was published by Malki Museum's Malki Press in 1972. Temalpakh demonstrates the depth of Saubel’s expertise in Cahuilla culture, and the second major focus of her scholarship
: native ethnobotany
, the study of the plant lore and agricultural customs of a people or specific ethnic group
. Saubel was an expert on the unique Cahuilla uses of such plants as mesquite
, screw bean
, oak
, acorn
, datura
, and others.
, William Bright
, on his studies of the Cahuilla language and as he prepared several publications. She also taught classes with Bright and with professor Pamela Munro of UCLA, and served as co-author with Munro on Chem’i’vullu: Let’s Speak Cahuilla, published by UCLA in 1981.
Starting in 1964, Saubel worked on Cahuilla language research with linguist Professor Hansjakob Seiler of the University of Cologne
, Germany
, to do further work on providing an authentic written translation of the Cahuilla language that had previously existed only in spoken form. Their work together resulted in the publication of both a Cahuilla reference grammar and dictionary
. Saubel also published her own dictionary, I’sniyatam Designs, a Cahuilla Word Book. Her work includes several authentic transcriptions and English translations of Cahuilla folklore
.
Jane Penn, a cultural leader on the Malki Cahuilla reservation at Banning, California
(which was renamed Morongo Reservation), had conceived in 1958 of opening a reservation museum where she could display her extensive collection of Cahuilla aritfacts and create a cultural preservation center for the reservation. With the help of Lowell John Bean, who was an anthropology graduate student at that time, and the support of Penn's husband Elmer and Katherine Siva Saubel's husband Mariano, the group obtained non-profit status for Malki Museum on the Morongo Indian Reservation in Banning, California
. Saubel, Penn's relative by marriage, was asked to become the president of Malki, while Penn became its director and treasurer.The first nonprofit museum on an Indian reservation opened its doors to the public in February 1965, and continues to display artifacts from prehistoric to recent times. Malki Press, the museum's publishing arm, recently purchased Ballena Press from authors Lowell John Bean and Sylvia Brakke Vane, enabling the museum to continue to publish scholarly works on Southern California's Native Americans.
have honored her, and she has been appointed to numerous commissions and agencies.
For many years, she served on the Riverside County Historical Commission, which selected her County Historian of the Year in 1986. In 1987, she was recognized as "Elder of the Year" by the California State Indian Museum
. Governor Jerry Brown
appointed her to the California Native American Heritage Commission in 1982. In this capacity she has worked to preserve sacred sites and protect Indian remains.
Saubel has testified as an expert on Native American culture and history to the California legislature, the United States Congress
, and various boards, commissions, and agencies.
Her writings have been published by government agencies, academic institutions, and museums, and she has taught Cahuilla history, literature, and culture at UC Riverside, UCLA, California State University
, Hayward
, the University of Cologne, and Hachinohe University
in Japan. In 2004 her book, Isill Heqwas Waxizh: A Dried Coyote's Tail, co-authored with Cahuilla, Cupeno, Luiseño, and Serrano linguist Dr. Eric Elliot, was published by Malki Museum Press.
Her awards include:
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
scholar, educator, tribal leader, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and activist committed to preserving her Cahuilla
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
history, culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
and language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
. Her efforts focused on preserving the language of the Cahuilla people. Saubel is acknowledged nationally and internationally as one of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
’s most respected Native American leaders. She received an honorary PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from La Sierra University
La Sierra University
La Sierra University is a Seventh-day Adventist co-educational university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Adventist Accrediting Association...
, Riverside, California
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
, and was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
at the University of California, Riverside
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
.
Saubel was an enrolled member of Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians
Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians
Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians of the Los Coyotes Reservation is a federally recognized tribe of Cahuilla and Cupeño Indians, who are Mission Indians located in California.-Reservation:...
and has served as their tribal chairperson.
Early life and education
Saubel grew up speaking the Cahuilla languageCahuilla language
Cahuilla is an endangered Uto-Aztecan language, spoken by the Cahuilla tribe, living in the Coachella Valley, San Gorgonio Pass and San Jacinto Mountain region of Southern California. Cahuilla call themselves Iviatam, speakers of 'Ivia' - the 'original' language. A 1990 census revealed 35 speakers...
. Her mother, Melana Sawaxell, could only speak Cahuilla. Her father, Juan C. Siva, eventually mastered four languages: Cahuilla, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, and English. While in high school, Katherine grew alarmed when she found that as she spoke Cahuilla to her friends, they would respond back to her in English. She worried that her people were losing their language. She began writing down the names and uses of the plants and herbs she learned from her mother as she gathered with her.
This notebook later became Temalpakh: (From the Earth) Cahuilla Indian knowledge and usage of plants that she collaborated on with anthropologist Dr. Lowell John Bean for ten years and was published by Malki Museum's Malki Press in 1972. Temalpakh demonstrates the depth of Saubel’s expertise in Cahuilla culture, and the second major focus of her scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
: native ethnobotany
Ethnobotany
Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist between people and plants....
, the study of the plant lore and agricultural customs of a people or specific ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
. Saubel was an expert on the unique Cahuilla uses of such plants as mesquite
Mesquite
Mesquite is a leguminous plant of the Prosopis genus found in northern Mexico through the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Deserts, and up into the Southwestern United States as far north as southern Kansas, west to the Colorado Desert in California,and east to the eastern fifth of Texas, where...
, screw bean
Prosopis pubescens
Prosopis pubescens, commonly known as Screwbean Mesquite or Tornillo, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico .-Description:This plant grows to about...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
, datura
Datura
Datura is a genus of nine species of vespertine flowering plants belonging to the family Solanaceae. Its precise and natural distribution is uncertain, owing to its extensive cultivation and naturalization throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the globe...
, and others.
Further work
In 1962, Saubel worked with the professor of American linguisticsLinguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, William Bright
William Bright
William Bright was an American linguist who specialized in Native American and South Asian languages and descriptive linguistics....
, on his studies of the Cahuilla language and as he prepared several publications. She also taught classes with Bright and with professor Pamela Munro of UCLA, and served as co-author with Munro on Chem’i’vullu: Let’s Speak Cahuilla, published by UCLA in 1981.
Starting in 1964, Saubel worked on Cahuilla language research with linguist Professor Hansjakob Seiler of the University of Cologne
University of Cologne
The University of Cologne is one of the oldest universities in Europe and, with over 44,000 students, one of the largest universities in Germany. The university is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, an association of Germany's leading research universities...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to do further work on providing an authentic written translation of the Cahuilla language that had previously existed only in spoken form. Their work together resulted in the publication of both a Cahuilla reference grammar and dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
. Saubel also published her own dictionary, I’sniyatam Designs, a Cahuilla Word Book. Her work includes several authentic transcriptions and English translations of Cahuilla folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
.
Jane Penn, a cultural leader on the Malki Cahuilla reservation at Banning, California
Banning, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
(which was renamed Morongo Reservation), had conceived in 1958 of opening a reservation museum where she could display her extensive collection of Cahuilla aritfacts and create a cultural preservation center for the reservation. With the help of Lowell John Bean, who was an anthropology graduate student at that time, and the support of Penn's husband Elmer and Katherine Siva Saubel's husband Mariano, the group obtained non-profit status for Malki Museum on the Morongo Indian Reservation in Banning, California
Banning, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
. Saubel, Penn's relative by marriage, was asked to become the president of Malki, while Penn became its director and treasurer.The first nonprofit museum on an Indian reservation opened its doors to the public in February 1965, and continues to display artifacts from prehistoric to recent times. Malki Press, the museum's publishing arm, recently purchased Ballena Press from authors Lowell John Bean and Sylvia Brakke Vane, enabling the museum to continue to publish scholarly works on Southern California's Native Americans.
Recognition
Saubel’s research has appeared internationally in government, academic and museum publications. Her knowledge of Cahuilla ethnobotany and tribal affairs has prompted US state and federal legislative committees to seek out her testimony. Past and current governors of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
have honored her, and she has been appointed to numerous commissions and agencies.
For many years, she served on the Riverside County Historical Commission, which selected her County Historian of the Year in 1986. In 1987, she was recognized as "Elder of the Year" by the California State Indian Museum
California State Indian Museum
The California State Indian Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, USA, interpreting the diverse cultures of the indigenous peoples of California. It is located in downtown Sacramento. The museum exhibits traditional items illustrating the varying cultures of the state's first...
. Governor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
appointed her to the California Native American Heritage Commission in 1982. In this capacity she has worked to preserve sacred sites and protect Indian remains.
Saubel has testified as an expert on Native American culture and history to the California legislature, the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, and various boards, commissions, and agencies.
Her writings have been published by government agencies, academic institutions, and museums, and she has taught Cahuilla history, literature, and culture at UC Riverside, UCLA, California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
, Hayward
Hayward, California
Hayward is a city located in the East Bay in Alameda County, California. With a population of 144,186, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward was ranked as the 37th most populous municipality in California. It is included in...
, the University of Cologne, and Hachinohe University
Hachinohe University
is a private university in Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan, established in 1981.-External links:*...
in Japan. In 2004 her book, Isill Heqwas Waxizh: A Dried Coyote's Tail, co-authored with Cahuilla, Cupeno, Luiseño, and Serrano linguist Dr. Eric Elliot, was published by Malki Museum Press.
Her awards include:
- First Recipient of the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
National Museum of the American IndianNational Museum of the American IndianThe National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
Art and Culture Award (1994) - The Desert Protective Council Award
- YWCAYWCAThe YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
Woman of Achievement Award (Riverside County, California) - Bridge To Peace Award
- Latino and Native American Hall of Fame (Riverside, California)
- First Recipient of the California Indian Heritage Preservation Award by the Society for California Archaeology (2000)
- Indian of the Year - California Indian Conference (2000)
- First Native American woman inducted into the National Women's Hall of FameNational Women's Hall of FameThe National Women's Hall of Fame is an American institution. It was created in 1969 by a group of people in Seneca Falls, New York, the location of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention...
in Seneca FallsSeneca Falls (town), New YorkSeneca Falls is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 9,347 at the 2000 census.The Town of Seneca Falls contains a village also called Seneca Falls...
, New York (1993)
Publications
- Saubel, Katherine Siva and Paul ApodacaPaul ApodacaPaul Apodaca is an expert in Native Americans in the United States, with particular emphasis on the peoples of Southern California, as well as more generally on images of Indians in non-Indian popular culture.-Personal background:...
. “Founding a Tribal Museum: The Malki Museum” in American Indian Places: A Guide to American Indian Landmarks, edited by Francis Kennedy. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. - Saubel, Katherine Siva and Lowell John Bean. Temalpakh (From the Earth): Cahuilla Indian Knowledge and Usage of Plants. Banning, California: Malki Museum Press, 1972.
- Saubel, Katherine Siva and Eric Elliot. Isill Heqwas Waxizh: A Dried Coyote's Tail. Banning, California: Malki Museum Press, 2004.
Further reading
- Dozier, Deborah. The Heart is Fire. Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 1996. Interviews with Katherine Siva Saubel and her brother, Alvino Siva, as well as Cahuilla elders
- Lowell John Bean. Mukat's People: The Cahuilla Indians of Southern California. University of California Press, 1974. Overview of Cahuilla culture conveyed by longtime Cahuilla associate, anthropologist Lowell J. Bean.
External links
- National Women's Hall of Fame entry for Katherine Siva Saubel
- Britannica Online Encyclopedia Entry - Katherine Siva Saubel
- American Indian Nations - Katherine Siva Saubel
- The American Indian Nations Biography Page for Katherine Siva Saubel.
- In celebration of Women's History Month, the East Buchanan middle school students worked in pairs and individually to create web biographies on significant American women, including Katherin Siva Saubel.
- Katherine Siva Saubel serves as Museum President on the Board of Directors for the Malki Museum.
- We Are Still Here is a film about Katherine Siva Saubel and the Cahuilla Indians of Southern California.
- Governor George Deukmejian appointed Commissioner Saubel, of Banning, to the Native American Heritage Commission on December 17, 1987.