Pomo Honoring Month

October 2012 is Sebastopol's third annual Pomo Honoring Month. This month was designated by the Sebastopol City Council as a time to learn about the history and culture of the indigenous people of our area.

The Pomo Project has scheduled 7 events this year, including an art exhibit, an information table at Farmers Market, a talk about the Pomo view of permaculture, a proposal at a city council meeting, a dance performance, and a documentary film.

We have a new web page on resources for learning about Pomo history and culture.

You can also read the resolution passed by the Sebastopol City Council in 2010, which "encourages business owners, educators, artists, and all our citizens to participate in making each October an occasion for joy, learning, and prosperity."

The Pomo Project emphasizes awareness of Pomo history and building bridges for future generations, supports Pomo people having an active voice in public policy, and values collaboration with all Pomo people toward reconciliation and understanding.

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Pomo Honoring Month in Batikletcawi (Sebastopol)

Learning about the culture of the Pomo people, whose land this was for thousands of years, can be a pleasurable awakening. For example, the baskets woven by Pomo artists are considered by many collectors, anthropologists, and craftspeople to be the finest in the world. They were made for all purposes, from cradles to fish traps to acorn mortars. Many were made with intricate designs, often incorporating brilliant feathers and shell beads, and sometimes water tight. The largest were enormous acorn storage baskets, the smallest were gift baskets that make the end of a finger look huge.

Here is a 5 minute video exploring the Soul of the Basket Weaver and the relation of basket making to local environment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfUZPCB8Wqw. I enjoyed watching it and hope you will too.

For a list of this years events, click here.