Puvungna Day Celebration 2026 "Celebrating Native California's Resilience"
With Institutionally Related Activities support and collaboration with the American Indian Student Council, and ASI, the Program in AIS presents the Puvungna Day of Celebration to honor the resilience of California American Indians. Envisioned as a complementary cultural event to the inter-tribal Pow Wow held each Spring, the PDOC is curated to center and showcase Tongva and Acjacachmen songs, stories, and cultural practices along with other California American Indian traditions. The event will begin at 9am with the second annual Lillian Robles Memorial Walk around Puvungna led by Lillian's son, Louis Robles. The blessing and welcome begin at 10am in the Hall of Science. Activities and workshops featuring sand painting, beading, coil basket making, and Native plants will be held in nearby classrooms to the Hall of Science from 11:00-11:45 and from 1:00-1:45pm. A screening of the Episode 7, "The American Dream" from the acclaimed series The People of the West, will begin at 2pm-3pm, followed by a Q&A with one of the film's producers. The event will end at 4pm. Lunch will be provided for attendees. Students, staff, faculty, and community are invited to attend all or part of this day-long commemoration. Please contact Dr. Theresa Gregor for more information at theresa.gregor@csulb.edu.
