Kupa history & culture
Roscinda nolasquez
Here is a collection of photographs and video of our great-grandmother, Roscinda Nolasquez. She was the last survivor of the Cupeño Trail of Tears — the forced removal of our people from Pal Atingva, our ancestral homeland, now called Warner Hot Springs. Roscinda was also the last fluent speaker of the Kupa language; she only began learning English in her teens. Her dedication to preserving our stories led her to work with linguist Jane Hill on Mulu’wetam: The First People, a collection of stories and a Kupa-English dictionary that continues to guide our language work today.
Below are two videos of Roscinda recorded in 1973-1974, by family friend Jay Levi, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Carleton College in Minnesota. Learn more about his work at his YouTube channel and his blog.
About our cultural events
Bring the living songs, language, and stories of the Kupa people to your event. The Kupa Song & Dance Group shares an authentic, intergenerational expression of Southern California’s Indigenous heritage through traditional music, dance, and storytelling.
