Draft:Ruby Modesto
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Ruby Eleanor Modesto (March 23, 1913 – April 07, 1980) was a Desert Cahuilla medicine woman, author, and cultural educator from Southern California. Raised on the Torres-Martinez Reservation, she became known for her efforts to preserve and share Cahuilla spiritual traditions, language, and oral history. In the final years of her life, she collaborated on a number of publications, including Not for Innocent Ears: Spiritual Traditions of a Desert Cahuilla Medicine Woman, which combined autobiographical reflections with tribal teachings and folktales.[1]
Early life
[edit]Ruby Eleanor Modesto was born on March 23, 1913, in Coachella Valley and spent her life on the Torres-Martinez Reservation. Her mother, Joaquina, was Serrano from Banning, and her father, Lorenzo Nombrie, was Desert Cahuilla, descended from Francisco Nombrie—a known informant for early anthropologists such as William Duncan Strong.[2]
Career
[edit]Though her cultural training began in childhood, Modesto’s contributions to published anthropology began in the 1970s. In 1977, she co-authored an article with anthropologist Richard Lando titled "Temal Wakhish: A Desert Cahuilla Village," which appeared in the Journal of California Anthropology. The article provided first-hand insight into the structure, values, and daily life of a Cahuilla village.[3]
Her most significant work, Not for Innocent Ears: Spiritual Traditions of a Desert Cahuilla Medicine Woman, was released shortly after her death in 1980. Co-written with Guy Mount, the book blends personal narrative with Cahuilla spiritual teachings and traditional stories. It served as one of the few public records of ceremonial knowledge that had traditionally been passed down orally.[1]
Modesto also worked to preserve the Cahuilla language and promote its teaching among young tribal members. She initiated several informal cultural education efforts, which were later continued by her husband, David Modesto.[2]
Death and legacy
[edit]Ruby Modesto died of cardiac arrest on April 7, 1980, at her home on the Torres-Martinez Reservation.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Modesto, Ruby, and Guy Mount. Not for Innocent Ears: Spiritual Traditions of a Desert Cahuilla Medicine Woman. Arcata, CA: Sweetlight Books, 1980. ISBN 0960446206. Smithsonian Institution Record
- ^ a b c Mount, Guy. “Ruby Modesto: Desert Cahuilla Pul.” Journal of California Anthropology, vol. 5, no. 1, 1978, pp. 72–74. eScholarship PDF
- ^ Modesto, Ruby, and Richard Lando. “Temal Wakhish: A Desert Cahuilla Village.” Journal of California Anthropology, vol. 4, no. 1, 1977, pp. 95–112. eScholarship