Living in the Land of Plenty; California and the American Indian

While the myth of the “California Dream” has been as persistent as it has been persuasive to the modern dreams of America, it's certainly not the first or only time that the region has been thought of as a paradise, or land of plenty. In fact, as argued in California: An Interpretive History, its most original immigrants, the Indians, saw it as much more. And, in fact, the idealness of the land, later to be known as “the sunshine state” was, at its heart, the true ideal of paradise.

It's hypothesized that the first immigrants to the area arrived nearly some 15,000 years ago; the ancestors of who we have come to know as Californian Indians. Over the course of that time, the various peoples that had come to inhabit the land, spread out into nearly all its vast, and different regions. In turn, each of these peoples developed off shoots of language and custom that would grow into unique aspects of that particular sub-culture. And as they grew into these surroundings, and into their specific cultural division, they learned to cultivate the natural resources of that area.

This wasn't, at first, well understood. early anthropologists categorized Indian populations into either

hunter-gathers or agriculturists; either they followed the seasonal migrations and harvested what simply bloomed, or they planted haphazardly, often into mud deposits that were created by seasonal rains. However, according to the reading, modern study has revealed that Indians promoted bio-diversity through crop rotation, weeding and pruning of fields and stock crops, and even some level of animal and insect husbandry. Geographer William Preston even noted that California was “one of the most altered pre-colonial landscapes in the Americas.”

From the numerous of well-manicured plots of tobacco, elderberry shrubs, and other various trees near villages, it's easy to see that the Indians of California had come to manage the abundant natural resources of the land. Acorn, probably one of the most abundant food sources in the area; which could be made into bread, or a form of porridge. Where not as available, as in desert regions, mesquite pods often took their place. Fish and game were reliable and plentiful throughout a good portion of the year, and meats could be smoked, or dried, to last through the winter season. At the coasts, shellfish would become the mainstay of an Indian's diet.

Location, of course, was everything. What was available in a particular area, and how the people learned to depend on what was there, tended to determine where a people settled, and about how large a settlement would be. For the most part, these settlements would range from as few as one hundred in a reasonably decent area, to as many as five hundred in areas where plants, animals, and other raw resources, like wood, were more plentiful. Usually consisting of allied families, these numbers were maintained to keep in balance with existing resources.

Managing of these resources came from as much an understanding of the land, as it did from a reverence for the land. Historian Edward Castillo notes that “the religious beliefs and traditions of the Indians of California teach that the blessing of the rich land and mild climate are gifts from the creator.” He goes on to point out that this reverence is expressed “by carefully managing the land for future generations and by living in harmony with the natural environment.”

Often, as it is in the case of Neolithic peoples in a tradition of oral history and storytelling, tales would be passed down, through the generations, warning of the dangers of excess; greed and waste could lead to disaster and ruin of the very world. In trying to keep to this sense of balance, Indians would work to attune themselves to the land. They could track game from the mere sound of herds and single animals, and were very familiar with the telltale signs of the coming of the seasons. In their traditions they even believed they could communicate and influence their environment through speech and dreams. In this they worked to make themselves one with the land.

It's a fairly easy conclusion to draw from the success of this methodology; this philosophy, just from looking at the sheer numbers of Indians believed to be living in the regions of California. While numbers bounce around, generously, it's reasonably believed that between 300,00 and 3250,000 Indians lived within the boundaries of modern day California in 1769, when the first of the Spanish settlements began to be founded. In fact it is estimated that California supported a much more vast Indian population than any other are of the Americas North of present day Mexico. And all this accomplished without the use of metallurgy; as the Californian Indian was one of the last hold outs of the Stone Age – where use of stone tools and weapons still were the prevailing technology. The continued use of which was due as much to the region's isolation as it was that they had achieved such balance with their surroundings that development in that direction was nearly nonexistent.

With great reverence for the land, and its resources, the Indians of California thrived by careful utilization of the available resources particular to a region they were settled into. Geographically speaking, this came down to six major areas; Southern, Central, Northwestern, Northeastern, Great

Basin, and the Colorado River. Here, in these regions, they made the best use of what they had on hand, from acorn, to fruit trees and shrubs, and, of course, wild game. By attuning themselves to the various signs of nature, they were able to read, and plan for, coming seasons and manage their resources. One of the ways they did this was by carefully limiting the population of their village settlements; usually made up of kindred families. By living within this harmonious balance with the land, they came to view it as a gift from the creator; deserving of its respect and acre for future generations.

This, then, could be seen as their “California Dream”; to live prosperously in the plentiful and lush Californian climate, where they could live, thrive, and work to continue their balanced way of life for the countless generations to come. And, while the modern notion of the “get rich quick” myth of the state still survives – mostly in great deal to the perpetuated media imagine, it could be as much said that this is also at the heart of the modern Californian; to find reward for honest work, to live in balance with his community, and to provide for his family, and their family to come.

First Look: Stop! Look! Listen! Summer sampler

 

 

I know things have been very quiet, lately, both here, and at Neverland Transit Authority. There's been a lot going on; some good, and some bad. But, believe me, all for the better. That's not to say that things have come to a complete halt, though. In fact, the wheels continue to turn, both here at The Conductor's Office, as well as Grand Central Station.

In particular it's been a very good year for collecting music. Too good, in fact. We've amassed so much music, at Station House Radio, that it looks like we're going to have to bust up the usual end of year sampler into two discs.

Yes, TWO discs.

And here's your first look at the NTA Comics "Summer Express, Ltd". Since we're still pouring over the hundred, or so, tracks that we're picking from, there's no song listings, as of yet. However, I can - as your Conductor - personally guarantee a fun and unique experience, as always.

The 2013 Summer Express, Ltd. should be available in limited quantity by July 26th. 

Californication; Red Hot Chili Peppers and the "California Dream"

There's this illusion that's sold to not only Americans, but of folks abroad, about the “California Dream” and how life here is about all dreams coming true, instant fortunes, and living the glamorous life. It's a scam; a false pretense that's packaged and pitched by the very heart of the entertainment industry.

As this industry has grown, and become more convoluted, more and more of those in it have begun to express the disillusion they, and others, have come to experience in Hollywood. Of those, Californication, by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, is probably one of the more masterful. Formed in the mid 1980's in Los Angeles, the band is no stranger to the twists and wilds of the music scene, and have expressed as much in many of their songs. Here, in Californication, the band puts forth, through lyrics, exposing some of the realities of what folks have come to believe is the dream of living in California.

One of the primary elements of the myth of California is its near exotic location; always envisioned as idyllic weather, beaches, and beautiful scenery. “It's the edge of the world /And all of western civilization/The sun may rise in the East /At least it settles in the final location” pretty much sums up this idea that California is the end all be all; the place everyone wants to be.

In his book, Scar Tissue, lead singer Anthony Kiedis says he was inspired by something he heard from a ranting lady in New Zealand, opening the song with “ Psychic spies from China/Try to steal your mind's elation /Little girls from Sweden /Dream of silver screen quotations”; referring to how wide spread this notion of the Hollywood myth is, across the globe – how invasive it can be. In many cases, it also goes to talk about how this romantic notion of life, adventure, and fortune have infected some's expectation of how life should just fall into place; much like a movie, or even a song.

This is perfectly exemplified in a bit of lyrics, written in the first person of one chasing that very dream, in Hollywood with “Marry me girl be my fairy to the world /Be my very own constellation” but goes on to reveal “A teenage bride with a baby inside /Getting high on information”; directly commenting on how the system can lead young and impressionable folks astray. And with the final line of this particular verse, we get our real first glimpse of what everyone who dreams of coming to the west coast has their eyes blinded by; “ And buy me a star on the boulevard /It's Californication”. Here we can get this sense that, while everyone comes here for fame and fortune, no one's really aware of how much hard work it takes, or how many fail miserably trying.

The term “Californication” is the blending of the state name, for which most attach the ideas of fame, fortune, and romance, with the term “fornication”; giving the meaning of prostituting the Californian life to create a form of marketing brand in order to make a profit. This is noted in the song with lines that end each verse, such as ; “ And if you want these kind of dreams /It's Californication”, and “ It's understood that Hollywood /Sells Californication”.

This notion, then, of glamor and glitz is exposed in the line “ Pay your surgeon very well/To break the spell of aging/Celebrity skin is this your chin/Or is that war your waging” is referring to the urgent need to look young and beautiful, and how its sold to everyone en mass; affecting the very way we see and perceive ourselves, and how we judge ourselves for and against it. The song revisits this, and really questions it with “Pay your surgeon very well/To break the spell of aging/Sicker than the rest/There is no test/But this is what you're craving”; bringing to light the very idea that, somehow, Hollywood has warped our ideas of beauty and self.

While the song does note how we're all colored by this ethereal image sold to us by Hollywood, who controls who is, and gets famous - “Born and raised by those who praise/Control of population/Everybody's been there/And I don't mean on vacation” - it also can't help but point out that, while it can be destructive, if you can keep your head and wits about you, then it's not necessarily an evil place; “Destruction leads to a very rough road/But it also breeds creation/And earthquakes are to a girl's guitar/They're just another good vibration”. Though there is consideration about how much we really need Hollywood and its fake dreams for sale; “ And tidal waves couldn't save the world/From Californication”.

Having been at the heart and center of the Hollywood music industry, themselves, for some time, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been able to pull from a wealth of experience; weaving a lyrical tapestry that reveals, in its prose, some of the darker truths behind the notion of the “California Dream”, the myth of wealth, romance, and fame often promised by Hollywood. Giving us the hard sell, Hollywood has ingrained in the American people, and, to some extent, the world, this image of a good life, beauty, and success. In Californication, The Red Hot Chili Peppers peel back the facade, giving us a better look at the reality of this myth; broken dreams, wasted youth, and the desperate clinging to impossible ideals of beauty in a desperate attempt to remain hip, relevant, and noticed. Maybe even, in the process, trying to show how we can be enamored by it, ourselves.

The Dream and Myth of California...

What is the “California Dream”? As described by my English 1B instructor, Brian Lewis, it’s “the American Dream on steroids”. The prevailing idea is that California is, among the fifty United States of America, that here, in the thirty first state, and here alone, the ideals of opportunity and fortune thrive and abound in every corner of the state.

But, do they?

Offered, as example, are two select pieces of reading, for considering. In an excerpt from Nathanael West’s The Day of the Locust, we meet and follow Tod Hackett; costume designer for a small Hollywood studio. Tod was lucky enough to get scouted out and recruited to move to California while in art school. He considers how lucky he is to have been picked; as he’s not what you’d consider particularly a choice individual; “his large sprawling body, his slow blue eyes and sloppy grin made him seem completely without talent, almost doltish in fact.”

In Under the Wire, Francisco Jimenez retells the story of his family as they left Mexico to look for work in California; seeking the same fortune and luxury that they have heard about from people like his cousin Fito; who lived in near populate luxury with his “two bedroom house [that] had electricity and a water well.”

Of course, as you can expect, Under the Wire is the story of illegal immigrants coming to California to find

work and a better life. Why? Well, because California just is better than the poverty of Mexico. But when they finally get to a work camp, Francisco’s brother Roberto isn’t even sure they are in California because not only is it not what they’ve heard, but there isn’t even any work, yet.

And Tod in Hollywood? Well, for one, he wonders if, in pursuing his fortune, he hasn’t sold out his art as a painter; which was his goal to be, in art school. Not only so, but also even considers the ugliness of his new home, by the end of the excerpt.

The other important thing to point out is the age of these readings. The Day of the Locust was published in 1939. Jimemez’s stories, from the book The Circuit: Stories from the life of a Migrant Child is his retelling of his family’s arrival to the United States in 1947. How accurate can these tales be, against the idea of today’s California?

In California: a place, a people, a dream James Rawls points out, siting Nathanael West as one example that “California’s writers have often provided a counterpoint to the myth of California as the land of boundless opportunity, success, and romance.”   As he’s quick to point out, the mystique of California is built on the paradoxes of its promise and failures.

And nowhere is that probably more accurate than today. California wealth, the supposed lure of so many to the Golden State, is actually held by a small minority of its residents; most of whom either inherited, or simply built wealth through fast stocks and investments – the legacy of the dotcom boom and bust of the late 1990’s. California is currently tied for fourth highest unemployment rate according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (8.6% with North Carolina) And that’s not even counting the amount of “under employed” workers who cannot find full time employment, or are forced to work for a considerably much lower salary than their predecessors in the same field; or their contemporaries abroad. Californians are also some of the most regulated and taxed in America; including fuel, property, and local sales taxes, as well as laws, statutes, and regulatory bodies in Sacramento, the state capitol. This ads to the already staggering cost of living that, to this day, grows more despairingly disproportional to the average worker’s income. 

Businesses have been also slowly moving to greener pastures, as it were. Companies like Network Appliance, Intel, and even Microsoft have either moved all their manufacturing to other states, or even countries, in order to save profits, rather than stay in California. And states like Washington and Arizona have gone to great lengths to make themselves more attractive to companies looking to relocate.

Since the gold rush of 1848, and through the 1850’s, California has been a land of “get rich quick”, more than opportunity. From Sutter’s Mill to the starlet dreams of Hollywood, more folks come here to get a fast grab at the perceived pie, than any actual opportunity. Nowhere is this better illustrated than the afore mentioned dotcom boom and bust of the late 90’s; when techs took off and investors flooded the new market. In their quick turnaround tactics of stocks and options, investors managed to over inflate the online economy, then pulled out with a quick, tidy profit; leaving the market to crumble. This was a cycle we would see, again, with the Enron scandal of the early part of the 21^st century, and then in 2008 with the housing scandal; which actually spread nationwide.

Biotech companies, like Genentech, were supposed to be the new boom economy. However, to date, that’s been more a slow steady ride than a new exploding economy. And perhaps that’s just as good, if not better. Because today the California myth is built around the boom/bust model of just a fraction of the state; namely the San Francisco bay area. The reality is that nearly 70% of California is actually agricultural; as it’s been since the turn of the 20^th century. And while the get rich schemes of the 49ers and the businessmen have come and gone, the farms and ranches of the central valleys have been going strong and stable all that time.

As Spooner points out, himself, in A New Perspective on the Dream, we can’t deny the lure of the images of starlets, romance, and the quick fortunes that have been had here; dreams that drew in the post war mid-westerners. But, where does that leave the supposed “California Dream”, today?

Most Californians, myself included, work very very hard to just get buy. Living here quickly dispels the fantasy of the bountiful land of opportunity. Home ownership is out of the reach of the majority of California’s residence; who must leave to more affordable places, if home ownership is a goal. Jobs aren’t as plentiful with job seekers more numerous than available work; when the work can pay enough.

That’s not to say that this state isn’t without its charms and culture. But the idea of the California Dream? Well, that’s more a myth, a relic, left over from bygone eras. With technology being what it is, and as available as it is, getting into entertainment – indeed, nearly any lucrative profession – is relatively easy in this day and age. And with the Internet and crowd-funding sources, like Kickstarter, building capitol and reaching target audiences no longer requires Hollywood or Silicon Valley. The California Dream… the myth… is no longer the “American Dream on Steroids”, but, instead, just back to a small part of the American Dream.