Upcoming Workshops
at Pacific View Arts Center, Encinitas
FREE OPEN HOUSE Jan 4th 10am-3pm - Wren will be present for the full event for meet/greet & demo.
Dharma Art:
Saturdays 10-11am 1/11 Prayer Sticks, 2/22 Contemplation Candle, 3/8 Mini Prayer Flags
Art Heals:
Saturdays 10-11am 1/25 Essence Abstract, 2/15 Contours of Nature, 3/15 Loose Watercolor
Join Wren at Soul of Yoga!
Upcoming Subbing Dates:
Tuesday, Dec 24th 10:45am Hatha (All Levels)
Tuesday, Dec 24th 12:30pm (Roll & Restore)
Monday, Dec 30th 6:45pm (Slow Flow)
Wednesday, Jan 1st 6:45pm (Slow Flow)
Tuesday, Jan 14th 12:30pm (Roll & Restore)
San Diego Natives & Locals: Message and Resources
Our planet is hurting and many of the humans on it are hurting as well. Separation and isolation are recurring themes. When it comes to U.S. history there is often hurt that lives on through the disconnection between the indigenous people of this land and the settler/immigrant descendants. My intention working with local non-indigenous to SoCal youth is to serve as a living bridge between people, and between people and the land. When our children study Native American cultures in school, it can feel like these cultures are things of the past. My native friends want the youth to understand that indigenous culture is a living culture.
Rarely do we recognize that throughout the world, all humans have an indigenous root.
Through inquiry we may discover that this forgetting is not by accident. An initial question that stimulates deep learning is: “What does it mean to be indigenous?” Another question that can take families on a life changing journey is: “Who were your indigenous ancestors?” Follow up questions may include: “What were their traditions?” If that is unanswerable, another inquiry is, “How were those traditions, or the knowledge of those traditions, lost?”
Healing is possible for our Earth and its people through connection.
Coming together from all different ancestral backgrounds in the spirit of open curiosity brings peace.
Every time you take your family to the beach you are fostering a meaningful, lasting sense of belonging. Hiking in the native landscape is another powerful way to establish a sacred relationship with this place. When our kids feel that they belong to a place, they love it. When they love a place, they have passed over a holy threshold.
With open eyes and hearts,
practicing reciprocity through honoring and protecting become instinctual.
Please take advantage of the following resource list to consider other ways that your family can strengthen a healing bridge to the indigenous people, other living beings, lands, and waters of this region. Consider planting and harvesting your own white sage to protect an endangered species from commercial harvesting. We can do this for today and for generations to come. In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh:
The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment
In the words of our indigenous kin:
We Are All Related
How to Bring Indigenous Learning to Life:
Explore through the senses!
See natural sights and cultural objects.
Touch (with permission / supervision) soil, rocks, artifacts, plants & creatures.
Listen to languages and music.
Taste traditional foods, or a lemonade berry on the trail!
Smell plants (like sage) by gently rubbing leaves.
Talk, raise questions, and Read to engage critical thinking.
Move the body by hiking trails through native plant life.
Dance to drums: Prance like the mule deer, bounce like a cottontail, soar like a red tailed hawk!
Feel the feelings that arise from this learning. Name them: curious, confused, happy, sad, scared, peaceful, angry, energized, regretful, hopeful… don’t know? Bring kindness and understanding to all feelings.
Legacy Native Plant Garden sign collaboration with Encinitas 6th graders, Pete & Wren Polansky, and local ceramic artist Carla Funk.
Natives & Locals Resource List
Open Spaces
San Diego County Parks & Recreation
One of the most diverse trail systems in this country. Over 360 miles of trails, over 100 parks and open spaces. A few family-friendly recommendations include:
Felicita County Park in Escondido was site of a large Kumeyaay village. Guided interpretive hikes available by reservation. Learn about Hal-ah-wee aka “Felicita” via their brochure online or in person.
Mission Trails Park in San Diego has a great visitor’s center. Paved path for scooters, bikes, and strollers. More rugged trails have a lot of variety - climb mountains or stroll leisurely through the landscape. Kids especially enjoy interacting with the small river and old Mission dam. Early morning or dusk are great times to go and avoid too much sun exposure.
San Elijo Lagoon in Cardiff has a nice visitor’s center. Kids love standing on the walking bridges over the water and looking for jumping fish and occasional sting rays. Wonderful birdwatching. Annie’s Canyon is a must!
Elfin Forest has a visitor’s center with an arty naturalist’s heart. Kids can look for crawdads in the stream. Plenty of diverse trails for hiking, biking or horseback riding.
The City of San Diego has an additional open space and park system to explore.
Animal Encounters
This section will be added soon…
Books: San Diego Native Land & People
Afoot and Afield in San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide by Jerry Schad
San Diego County Native Plants by James Lightner
Kumeyaay Ethnobotany: Shared Heritage of the Californias by Michael Wilken-Robertson
Books: Native American (General)
Adults
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall-Kimmerer
An Indigenous Peoples History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz
Neither Wolf Nor Dog by Kent Nerburn
Seven Circles of Wellness by Chelsea Luger and Thosh Collins
Older Kids
An Indigenous Peoples History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz with Mendoza & Reese,
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall-Kimmerer & adapted by Monique Gray Smith
Picture Books / Younger Kids
(Intertribal) Can You Hear The Plants Speak? Nicholas Hummingbird, Madelyn Goodnight
(Ojibwe) We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, Michaela Goade
(Sioux) The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle by Gay Matheai, Jewel Grutman, Adam Cvijanovic
(Cherokee) We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell, France Lessac
(Intertribal) Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, Juana Martinez-Neal
Books: Other Earth-based Traditions
Families
(European Pagan) The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature’s Rhythms by Fiona Cook and Jessica Roux
Music
Canyon Trilogy by Carlos Nakai (flute)
Lyla June
more added soon…
Videos
You Tube: San Diego’s First People – Kumeyaay Native Americans
Native Community Organizations
Ataaxuum Pomkwaan
Meaning, “For The People,” this organization is dedicated to Native American healing. Learn about their powerful work. Donations gratefully accepted.
Powwows
Pow-Wows in San Diego
California has over 50 Pow-Wows a year. These public-invited, family-friendly events provide powerful real-life learning. Respectfully witness living indigenous culture through music, dance, food, and hand made cultural items for sale. Google search the tribe/band or location name listed below plus “Powwow 2025” for precise dates and locations.
September - Sycuan in El Cajon
January - Pechanga in Temecula
May - Balboa Park
April – SDSU
June – San Luis Rey Band of Luisenos in Oceanside
August/Sept - Barona in Lakeside
September - Sycuan in El Cajon
Nurseries & Shops
Neel’s Native Plant Nursery
466 N Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas. Open Sat & Sun 9-5pm
Plant native plants to beautify your garden, heal land, support native species / pollinators, and save water. Please plant white sage to save this sacred plant from commercial poaching! This small, local, woman-owned business near Pannikin has a beautiful gift shop.
Barrels & Branches
1452 Santa Fe Drive, Encinitas. Open 8-5pm Every day
This local, artful, woman-owned gem nourishes the spirit. The native plant selection is very small, but there are ample veggies, herbs, and water wise plants. Beautiful houseplants and gifts too.
Native Habitat Organizations
The Nature Collective
Formerly the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy, dedicated to conservation and education. This local organization, based in north county San Diego, hosts wonderful hands-on events for all ages. Great donation and volunteer opportunities!
The San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy
Since 1986, the SDRVC has been dedicated to conservation and restoration of land within the River Park's 92,000-acres. SDRVC establishes and maintains trails, including the Coast to Crest Trail, and educates the public about our precious local habitat. Membership and volunteer opportunities.
PHOTOS / Copyright Wren Polansky 2024
The Wild Coast
Ocean conservation extending into the Baja California area.
The Surfrider Foundation
Preserving beaches and protecting marine habitat.
Museums & Cultural Centers
Kumeyaay Interpretive Center at Pauwai
13104 Ipai Waaypuk Trail, Poway
Open 3rd Saturday / month 10am-1pm.
The Barona Cultural Center and Museum
San Diego County’s first museum on a reservation. The Kumeyaay-Diegueño Native culture collection represents thousands of years of history. They also offer an amazing outreach program, bringing the museum to you!
1095 Barona Road, Lakeside
Open Tues-Fri 12-5pm, Sat 10-4pm.
The Museum of Us
This museum currently has an exhibit titled Kumeyaay: Native Californians / Ipai-Tipai, acknowledging the thirteen bands of Kumeyaay in San Diego County and four additional bands in Baja California, Mexico. This exhibit features content on both traditional and contemporary Kumeyaay life ways. Another, first ever exhibit on local indigenous astronomy, called Kumeyaay Cosmology Dome is featured at this museum.
Located in Balboa Park at 1350 El Prado, San Diego
Open Mon-Sun 10-5pm
San Diego Archeological Center
10,000 years of San Diego history. Right next to the San Pascual Battlefield & Museum (currently closed) and near Safari Park.
1666 San Pascual Valley Road, Escondido
Open Wed-Fri 10-4pm, Sat 10-2pm.
San Diego Botanical Garden
A 37-acre garden located in Encinitas with 4 miles of walkways, and 5,000+ plant types from different parts of the world. Wonderful children’s gardens. The San Diego Botanical Garden permanently features a Native Plants and Native Peoples Trail with Kumeyaay ramada and ewa’a (home structure).
300 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas
Open Mondays and Wed-Sun 9am-5pm (closed Tuesday)