NEWBURY PARK : Museum Will Feature Chumash Bear Dance

It’s hard for Richard Angulo of Thousand Oaks to describe the traditional Chumash Indian bear dance that he will perform Sunday at the Stagecoach Inn Museum in Newbury Park. After all, he isn’t directing the action, he said.

“It’s something you don’t learn, it’s something that comes to you,” said Angulo. “It’s the spirit of the bear that hits you.”

Angulo will be featured at a Celebration of Native American Cultures scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. at the museum. Besides American Indian dancers, the day will include hands-on activities for children to experience history, organizers said.

At the event, sponsored by the nonprofit Conejo Valley Historical Society, children can grind stones to make a powder-based paint for pictograph painting. They can also weave rope from long grass strands, watch basket weaving or string beads into a necklace.

Two historians who specialize on the Chumash will speak, and a new exhibit at the museum will be open for viewing. “Real to Reel” contrasts American Indian artifacts with Hollywood replicas. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children.

The day’s highlight probably will be Angulo’s dance, organizers said. The spiritual dance signifies man’s oneness with nature and promotes healing, Angulo said.

“It’s not a dance done every day,” Angulo said. “When I become the bear, I am the bear. All others leave my soul.”

Built in the 1860s, the museum at 51 S. Ventu Park Road was once a lodging house for travelers making their way between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, Director Sandra Hildebrandt said.

“We really have a strong commitment to education at this museum,” Hildebrandt said.