Celebrate Native Heritage Month With Us!
Join us for a special Cultural Day celebrating Native Heritage Month with
the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians Acjachemen Nation
Sunday, November 15, 2026
8:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Village of Putuidem, San Juan Capistrano
30291 Camino Capistrano
(Northwest Open Space)
This will be a beautiful morning of learning, connection and community with members of the Acjachemen Nation, with opportunities for children and families to experience cultural traditions, teachings and hands-on activities.
8:30 AM – Arrival & Check-In
Please arrive early so everyone has time to check in, find their clan and get settled before our program begins.
9:00 AM – Welcome, Land Acknowledgement & Blessing
We’ll begin together with opening words and a traditional blessing honoring the ancestral lands of the Acjachemen people, followed by a quick overview of the morning.
9:15 AM – Clan Activities Begin
Everyone will be divided into four clans for the morning:
🐻 Bear Clan
🦌 Deer Clan
🦅 Hawk Clan
🐺 Wolf Clan
Each clan will rotate together through four cultural learning stations, spending approximately 15 minutes at each station.
The Four Cultural Stations
🌿 Native Plant Education
Learn about native plants and their traditional uses and importance.
🌰 Acorn Grinding
Experience and learn about the traditional process of grinding acorns.
🐚 Shell Necklace + Kiicha
Create a shell necklace and visit the Kiicha for a special photo opportunity.
🎶 Native Song
Gather together to learn a traditional song.
By rotating as clans, everyone will have an opportunity to experience all four stations throughout the morning.
10:40 AM – Closing Ceremony Under the Oak Tree
After completing the rotations, we’ll come back together beneath the oak tree to share a good intention, offer gratitude to the land and reflect on what we learned throughout the morning.
We’ll close our time together by enjoying fresh sage tea.
11:00 AM – That’s a Wrap!
Things To Know
Southern California mornings can keep us guessing, so dress in layers and
wear comfortable shoes for walking on dirt and uneven ground.
🚗 Parking: Please park in the dirt field and walk over to the Village of Putuidem.
💧 Bring water: Please bring a reusable water bottle for each member of your family.
We will also have water from Open Water for each participant!
🚻 Restrooms: Please note that there are no restroom facilities on site, so plan accordingly before arriving.
🌿 Most importantly, come ready to listen, learn, create and connect as we celebrate the history, traditions, knowledge and living culture of the Acjachemen people.
We look forward to sharing this special morning with you!
The Sacred Practice of Burning Sage
Before ceremonies or gatherings, members of the
Juaneño Band of Mission Indians Acjachemen Nation,
often begin with a blessing that includes burning sage.
This sacred practice helps set a tone of respect and connection to the land,
the ancestors and one another.
Burning sage often called smudging is a sacred ceremony practiced by many Indigenous peoples, including the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation (JBMIAN).
It is a way to cleanse a space, person, or object of negative energy and to invite peace, clarity and connection
with the Creator.
For the Acjachemen people, the smoke from the sage carries prayers to the heavens. It is used in blessings,
gatherings and cultural ceremonies to honor the land, ancestors and the spiritual world.
The act itself is one of mindfulness and gratitude, reminding us to move through life with respect for all living things.
When sage is burned, participants may gently fan the smoke toward their hearts and heads, symbolizing the cleansing of thoughts and intentions. It’s more than a ritual it’s a moment to pause, reflect and reconnect with the
natural world and our shared responsibility to care for it.
“When we smudge, we’re purifying not just the air around us but our spirit within.” — Acjachemen teaching
