Tribal fest
Annual Cocopah Cultural Celebration is Saturday
The Cocopah Indian Tribe invites the public to get acquainted with tribal culture in person on Saturday.
The 22nd annual Cocopah Cultural Celebration is slated to take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West Cocopah Reservation, 14515 S. Veterans Drive in Somerton. The event is free and open to the public.
“We encourage everybody to come and look and learn more about the Cocopah people,” said Joe Rodriguez, organizer of the event and member of the tribe. “You would be amazed, some people have grown up here their whole lives and they are not aware of the Cocopah Indian Tribe. They just assume that it’s just a name that’s on the marquee of the casino. But actually the people, the tribe, the culture, it’s everything to us.”
Throughout the celebration, there will be arts and crafts booths, informational booths, a children’s fun area, face painting, a magician, free raffles and more.
New this year will be a screwbean tea tasting. During the celebration, the Cocopah Museum will also be open for viewing with its new River Exhibit in the gallery.
The tea, consumed by Cocopah Tribal ancestors nearly a century ago, is made from tightly coiled tan seedpods found in bunches on the screwbean “chicken’s feet” mesquite, which is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the pea family.
Cocopah Cultural Resources Manager Justin Brundin said the River Exhibit, completed at the end of this spring, details the Cocopah peoples’ relationship with the Colorado River.
“We are going to serve some screwbean tea for everyone to try,” Brundin said. “We are also going to be offering some traditional hoop and spear games for community members to try out. They haven’t been practiced for quite some time.
“We will also have a display of a traditional Cocopah home (that) attendees can check out,” he added. “We built it the way it would be built in the 1930s with lots of wood and arrow weed.”
The celebration will begin with a welcome address by Tribal Chairwoman Sherry Cordova and royalty recognition by Tribal Vice Chairman J. Deal Begay. Additionally, there will be an opening address by Rodriguez, who is also the Cocopah Museum Gift Shop manager.
The opening ceremony will also include a posting of colors led by Colin Soto and a moment of silence. Begay will also serve as master of ceremonies.
After the opening festivities, a chair volleyball game where elders will take on youth will take place from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Chicken fajitas will be served for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
At 12:45 p.m., celebration attendees will get to see cultural performances. Performers on the schedule include:
• South West Kwapa Singers and Dancers/Justina Miller
• Ral Christman and Asha Takook Bird Group Kumeyaay Nation
• Steve Casioce/San Juan Capistrano
• Jason San Diego, Cocopah Bird Singer
Rodriguez said those who attend are welcome to take part in social dancing that concludes the celebration. “If you want to join in, you can just jump right in and participate, dance and maybe learn a move or so,” he said.
Performers and vendors are expected to come from Yuma as well as Southern California. There will also be vendors from Mexico, he said.
For more information about the Cocopah Cultural Celebration, call (928) 627-1992. The tribe can also be found on social media by searching Cocopah Indian Tribe.
“... the tribe, the culture, it’s everything to us.”