California Documentary Project
Sing Birds: Following the Paths of Cahuilla Power
Idyllwild Arts Foundation
Producer and Director: Sean Owen
The changing world of the Cahuilla as reflected in an important Cahuilla art form
The varied and complex realm of the Cahuilla Indians has evolved over the years to meet the demands of the modern world. That change can be seen in a number of areas of Cahuilla life, including the Cahuilla practice of singing “bird songs,” epic accounts of the divinities at the formation of the world.
This film explores the changing culture of the Cahuilla through the prism of the practice of bird singing. The focus is on bird songs of Cahuilla singers living in eight reservations in Riverside County. Among those featured in the film are Cahuilla elders who sing bird songs exactly as they were taught, young singers competing in powwows who jazz up the rhythms, and tribal leaders and teenagers trying to keep Cahuilla customs and traditions alive.
Sean Owen, the film’s producer and director, said, “The loss of the Cahuilla language, the infusion of money from casinos in some Cahuilla bands, the influence of Western culture and issues of mixed blood have affected the intention of the singers and the purity of the bird songs. What we hope to show is a culture in transition, but one where there is renewed interest in traditional practices, great promise for youth and optimism for the future.”