Luwana Quitiquit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luwana Quitiquit
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Quitiquit, 1979
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| Born |
Luwana Fay Quitiquit
November 13, 1941 |
| Died | December 23, 2011 (aged 70) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation | Administrator, artist, and activist |
| Years active | 1961–2011 |
| Spouse(s) | Ed Castillo |
| Children | 1 |
Luwana Quitiquit (born November 13, 1941 – died December 23, 2011) was a Native American woman from the Pomo tribe. She was known for her work as an administrator, an activist, and a talented artist, especially in basket weaving.
During a famous protest called the Occupation of Alcatraz, she helped by cooking food for the people living on the island. Throughout her life, she worked as an administrator for different Native American groups in California. She also became well-known for making dolls, weaving baskets, creating jewelry, and teaching traditional Pomo crafts.
Later in her life, in 2008, Luwana and her family were removed from the official list of members of the Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California. She believed this was for political reasons and fought against it until she passed away. After her death, in 2017, her membership and that of her family members were given back. This was a very important event because it was the first time a tribe changed its mind about ending someone's membership without a court telling them to.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Luwana Kay Quitiquit was born on November 13, 1941, in Isleton, California. Her mother was an Eastern Pomo woman and a member of the Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California. Her father was from the Philippines.
Her whole family worked in farming in California. Luwana went to David Bixler Elementary School and then graduated from Tracy Joint Union High School.
Career and Activism
After finishing high school, Luwana Quitiquit started working as a secretary at the University of California, Berkeley. In November 1969, she took her children to Alcatraz Island. They joined the Occupation of Alcatraz, a protest where Native Americans lived on the island to bring attention to their rights. Luwana helped by cooking for everyone there.
While on Alcatraz, she met Edward D. Castillo, another activist. They later married and had a daughter. Luwana and her children stayed on the island until the protest ended in 1971.
Luwana continued her education at the University of California, Riverside and earned her bachelor's degree from University of California, Berkeley in 1977. During her studies, she began learning basket weaving from Mabel McKay, a famous Pomo basket maker.
After college, Luwana became the executive director of the San Bernardino Indian Center. She also worked for the Office of Criminal Justice Planning in Sacramento, California.
In the early 1980s, Luwana led an organization called Economic Advancement for Rural Tribal Habitats (EARTH). This group focused on helping American Indians in Lake County, California, and nearby areas. She worked to get money from the state and federal governments for community projects on different tribal lands.
From 1986 to 2009, she represented the Robinson Rancheria on the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council. This council worked to protect and manage land that was returned to Native American tribes. Because native plants are needed for traditional baskets, she helped create gardens and taught younger tribe members about these plants.
Luwana also worked as a deputy director for the Consolidated Tribal Health Project. She believed that being healthy meant not just physical and mental well-being, but also staying connected to artistic and cultural traditions.
When she retired, Luwana spent more time on her art. She was best known for her baskets and cradle weavings. She also made dolls from acorns and jewelry using traditional materials like abalone shells, beads, nuts, and other shells.
Luwana created a system to train Pomo weavers and keep the traditional craft alive. She used her skills to find funding for weaving courses and for gathering the materials needed. She taught one person from each of the seven Lake County Pomo tribes, and those students then taught others. She also ran the Pomo Fine Art Gallery in Lucerne to help Native artists sell their work.
Tribal Membership Dispute
In 2008, Luwana Quitiquit and her entire family were removed from the list of tribal members of the Robinson Rancheria. The Tribal Chair said this was because they believed these members were not properly enrolled.
Luwana argued that the real reason was a disagreement over a tribal election. She and her family had supported a candidate who won the election, but his victory was later challenged.
Because they were removed from the tribe, Luwana and her family lost important benefits. These included tribal housing, health care, jobs, education support, and elder services. She worked hard to raise money to fight this decision in court.
In 2010, a government agency called the Bureau of Indian Affairs said they would not get involved, stating that tribal membership was an internal decision for the tribe. In 2011, the Tribal Council started court trials to evict family members from their homes. Luwana passed away during these trials, but her family promised to continue fighting for their reinstatement.
Death and Legacy
Luwana Quitiquit died on December 23, 2011, at her home in Nice, Lake County, California. Even after her death, the Tribal Court issued eviction notices for her family and for her.
In 2015, a new Tribal Chair was elected who wanted to bring back tribal members who had been removed. Two years later, in 2017, the Tribal Council voted to put Luwana's family and others back on the tribal membership list. This was a very important moment. It was the first time in the United States that a tribe changed its decision about membership without being forced to by a court.
See also
In Spanish: Luwana Quitiquit para niños
