6 posts tagged “jane pojawa”

The hills behind our house are on fire and have been for the last two days. They're calling it the "Station Fire" in honor of a ranger station that's probably toast by now - I hope not. Don't worry, folks - we're ok, but it's heartbreaking to see our trees and hiking trails consumed in flame and to think of all of the plants and animals that lived in what has grown to be a 5,500 acre fire with no end in sight. Just at the top of our street is an Edison easement that has been co-opted into a hiking/riding trail and we've been heading up there a few times a day to see how things are. Jane's been documenting the wreckage, but she'd rather be documenting the regrowth. Be very careful, folks, the hills are dry and resources are stretched. Report any activity that seems arson-related or just plain stupid. BTW - we've been updating the slideshow day by day.

Once again, a great time was had at Cabot's Pueblo Museum on June 6. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, Cabot's is one of the desert's treasures, and their annual fundraiser is always a great time for a great cause. Getting your picture taken with a cute burro, in this case miniature donkey Romeo - and the disembodied hand of Galena, Don Reed in the Hawaiian shirt, Jane Pojawa with the big smile, and native ceramicist Tony Soares in the back row with yours truly - is just one of the many perks. It has been just great to see Cabot's Pueblo Museum become the center of Desert Hot Springs over just the past couple o' years and we certainly wish them all the best in the future.

 

 

My girl, Jane, is giving a little talk up at the Hi-Desert Museum the first Wednesday in June, if y'all like History, you won't want to miss it:

Cabot Yerxa: True Confessions of a Research Addict

Does reading 19th century census records make your heart beat faster? Do yellowed newspaper clippings give you an adrenalin rush? Have you ever screamed while reading and old letter – exchanged between two people you’ve never met? This is the sordid, secret life of a research addict, and it is an incurable condition. Fortunately, there are others who share your passion, and you need not experience the euphoria and disappointment alone.

Jane Pojawa is the archivist/historian for Cabot’s Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs. Her extensive research into the extraordinary life of Cabot Yerxa has made for some fascinating discoveries about one of the Coachella Valley’s earliest pioneers. The greatest challenge of this quest has been to separate legend from fact, and the most effective tool for the job is primary source documents.

In this First Wednesday’s presentation, Pojawa will give an overview of the fascinating life of Cabot Yerxa before addressing some of the stories that surround Cabot Yerxa and his Pueblo, including:

The Eskimo Dictionary
Cabot and the Cabots
Merry Xmas, the super-burro
The Murder Room
Giant Rock and the Flying Saucers

This program will shed light on some little-known aspects of Yerxa’s life and legend, while giving research tips and encouragement to our local historians. The truth is out there – and it might be much stranger than you think!

At the Hi-Desert Nature Museum $5 Donation
Hi-Desert Nature Museum
57090 29 Palms Highway
Yucca Valley, CA 92284

The Indian Burial Grounds at 29 Palms one of the saddest little places I've had occasion to visit. The Oasis of Mara has been occupied by various tribes for about 500 years. The Chemehuevi presence was more recent, they came in during the mid-1800s after a disasterous war with the Mojave and got run off by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the post-Willie Boy period, around 1910. Today the Chemehuevi are mostly in the Parker Dam area, but they're making a comeback - specifically in the form of the Nu-Mu casino that's going in near here in the next year or two. At the turn of the last century, it was estimated that there were about 60 graves here at the burial ground, most of them children. In the wake of the Willie Boy manhunt, two Chemehuevi, Jim and Matilda Pine refused to leave. All of their children were  buried here and they could not bear to part with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raven Jake   Jake at Oasis The burial ground is about 1/2 mile from the oasis.   Willie Boy

The resourceful ladies of the Inland Empire have done it again with another jaw-dropping alternative bellydance showcase. This time the theme was "Strip 'n' Slide" combining 50's-style burlesque with bellydance and well, really anything goes.

I very nearly missed the whole event - no one thought signs were necessary, apparently. But once settled in after half an hour circling the campus, my sense of humor returned to enjoy Dot Toddy's "Clown Interrupted" act.

Next up was Lux La Crois, who looks very much like a young Josephine Baker, and whose tribute to Lawn Jockeys Everywhere was both funny and empowering. Hey Ya - you go, girl! Shake it like a Polaroid picture!

Frederique brought it back old school with an act Little Egypt would've been proud of.

 

Subee Djinn, Nikki and Ekaterina (aka SuperKate), can always be counted on to push the limits of what bellydance is; well really, what "dance" is. Their tribute to Frankenstein was all slide and no strip and quite unique.

Getting back to classic burlesque, La Cholita did a wild flamenco striptease and Vixen Violette got down to Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive." Charlotte la Belle Araigne'e was straight out of the Moulon Rouge and Renee du Jour brought down the house with her Heidi tribute complete with naughty goat marionettes and "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music. Emcee Laura Sutherland kept things lively (and funny) while stagehand Rheo managed an air of subtle insubordination while sweeping up.

A good time was had by all - evidently this is the last "Stiletto" event - one of the organizers, Rachel Lazarus Soto, is moving away. As a guy, I'm all for attractive women taking their clothes off, and I hope someone steps up to fill the void that Rachel's departure will undoubtedly create. Politti Ascroft of Blue Damsel Studios makes a lovely Genie / Jeannie (and don't even get me started on what I would do if I

opened a bottle and Barbara Eden came out - she wouldn't be washing dishes!)

Blue Damsel http://www.bluedamsel.org/

La Cholita http://www.myspace.com/natashathevamp

Vixen Violette http://www.myspace.com/VixenViolette

Charlotte la Belle Araigne'e http://www.myspace.com/charlottesparlor

 

 

Subee Djinn http://www.subeedjinn.net/

Renee du Jour http://reneedujour.com/

Laura Sutherland http://goddesskaffeina.com/mc.html

Politti Ashcroft http://www.myspace.com/punk_rock_geisha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jane's turned her photo/research project into a slideshow, but she insists she's still not finished. There are more memorials out there and more research to be done. Be that as it may, I think she's made her point whch is everybody (but most particularily these kids right out of high school) best not be getting loaded and drivin' around. Just stay at the party; there's no rush to be anyplace at 10 at night. When you are driving, please remember that everybody else on the road is smokin' crack/just got their license last week/legally blind and put on your seat belt. Maybe think about gettin' a crash helmet. Again, my condolences to the families of these boys, it is a terrible thing to lose a loved one.