They learned to live the Native American way

Danette Goulet

COSTA MESA -- The air shook with the deep, constant beat of an Aztec

drum.

A wooden flute, the rattle of gourds filled with beans and the

chanting of Tarascan Indian prayers evoked ancient melodies, joining the

thunderous throb.

Every few minutes, the booming, sputtering call of an enormous conch

shell rang out.

Two parents waved smoke from a burning ember to purify the soul of

each child gathered in the ceremonial circle, as the group greeted the

day together.

While children begin and end every day in a circle at the Waldorf

School in Costa Mesa, Friday’s ceremony was special.

It was the last day of the Indian Summer Camp, in which children

experienced life in an Indian village.

“We do lots more things than other camps,� said Dylan Reuter, 8. “We

go on nature hikes and hear stories -- scary fairy tales and Indian

legends mostly.�

Guillermo Martinez, a Native American Indian from the Tarascan tribe

in Mexico, heads the woodworking and Native American arts programs at the

school.

Each summer, Martinez runs a three-week camp that teaches children how

to grind corn to make tortillas and create authentic woodworking pieces.

The campers also hear the legends and history that is his heritage.

Instead of putting an emphasis specifically on his culture, Martinez

teaches the children the importance of rituals, which he said are part of

every culture and especially important to the stability and development

of children.

He educates the group through the use of stories -- a learning tool

dating back to the beginning of time, he said. These tales are both fun

and memorable to children.

“The one he told us yesterday we had to tell him if we thought it was

a legend or real,� Dylan said, then launched into a convoluted monologue

of the origin of the sun, moon and stars.

When the ritual was finished Friday, the campers reluctantly said

goodbye to their Indian summer days.

“I’m sad to see this end because I’ve learned a lot of things from

Guillermo,� said 9-year-old Brittany Guillon. “He taught us how to make

things and we learned his Indian ways.�