BIRD SONG AND DANCE FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ANCIENT TRADITION IN PALM SPRINGS

PALM SPRINGS, CA – November , 2006: As part of the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum’s effort to keep the Native spirit alive in the Coachella valley, the Museum will host the second annual “Singing the Birds” (Wikitmallem Tahmuwhae) Bird Song and Dance Festival.

Traditionally, music and dance played a significant role in Cahuilla culture and daily life. Today, bird songs and dance are one of the last and most important components of living Cahuilla culture. Come celebrate this honored tradition at this free, all-day festival on Saturday, December 16 inside the Pavilion Auditorium in Palm Springs’ Sunrise Park.

This event is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the art of bird singing and bird dancing, and will include performances, inter-tribal bird dancing, a tap-out contest with prizes, food and beverages, and Native American vendors.

Honored performance groups scheduled to appear are Guy Trujillo and the Kupa Bird Singers, Wayne Nelson and the Inter-Tribal Bird Singers, Delano Carter and the Red-Tail Hawk Singers and Dancers, and Dale Phillips with the Cocopah Bird Singers.

Birdsongs were among the first human melodies to echo in the canyons and mountains of the Coachella Valley. With this event, Agua Caliente Cultural Museum highlights not only local bird singers of the Valley, but also those from other Native tribes who are keeping the bird singing tradition alive and relevant today. Historically, each tribe held songs that were orally passed from generation to generation. The songs recounted stories about risks and difficulties people met in life and provided lessons concerning proper behavior.

The Bird Song and Dance festival will begin at 11:00 AM and conclude at 8:00 PM. The event is being sponsored by Red Hand Apparel, Presenting Sponsor and exclusive clothing vendor for the event. The Pavilion Auditorium at Sunrise Park is located at 401 S. Pavilion Way, Palm Springs, California. The park is located at the corner of Ramon Road & Sunrise Way. For more information please call 760/778-1079 or visit www.accmuseum.org.

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution, inspires people to learn about the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and other Native cultures. It keeps the spirit alive through exhibitions, collections, research and educational programs. As an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Museum has access to the richness of the Smithsonian’s educational programs and cultural objects and bring its world-acclaimed exhibitions to the Coachella Valley.

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum is located at 219 South Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. The Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday from noon to 5:00 PM. Admission is free.