Lecture: “I May Still Be Speaking” - Indigenous Oral Tradition of Northern Baja California
2026-03-06 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | ABDNHA Library, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Speaker: Michael Wilken-Robertson, Anthropologist
Indigenous people of northern Baja California share ancient cultural and linguistic ties with other Yuman groups of southern California and Arizona. Over the millennia, native peoples developed richly elaborate cosmologies in which the earth, sky, plants, and animals were infused with spirit; these narratives were passed along through myths, legends, stories, and song. In this lively talk, we will hear examples of storytelling from the Kumeyaay, Paipai, and Kiliwa peoples that Wilken-Robertson has worked with for over 40 years in Baja California. The narratives will be considered in their cultural context to help us better understand the meanings embedded in them and why the particular narratives passed down for generations remain compelling to listeners today.
Anthropologist Michael Wilken-Robertson has developed lifelong collaborative relationships with native artists and traditional authorities to foster cultural revitalization and sustainable community development in northern Baja. He has taught in the anthropology department at California State University, San Marcos. His fascination with native plants and the natural landscapes of the Californias have inspired him to explore the many ways that humans have interacted with their environments, from the ancient past to the present. Michael resides in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. In the ABDNHA Library. GP $12, M $10, V $8. Register online, or call us at 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.

Lecture: Native American Life, Use of Native Plants
2026-02-28 14:00 - 15:00 | ABDNHA Library, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Speaker: Cathy Chambers, Volunteer
Many hundreds of years ago, there was nothing close to a store in all of North America. The people living here before that time needed materials for clothing, storage containers, food, tools, and other essentials to build living structures. All of these materials were gathered and processed into the items they needed. Groups traded with each other for what they needed, offering what they had in surplus in exchange. In this presentation, you will see and handle samples of plants and the objects made from them that were used in everyday life in the surrounding desert. Cathy Chambers is a lifelong naturalist who studied ethnobotany for her personal and professional development, starting her career decades ago here in Anza-Borrego. GP $12, M $10, V $8. You can register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.
Register here for the program.

Hike: Smugglers’ Canyon Overlook & Pictographs (Moderate) - FULL (waitlist)
2026-02-14 08:00 - 13:00 | ABDNHA Parking Lot, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Leader: Bruce Kelley, ABDNHA Volunteer
This hike is located in Blair Valley, off S2, and involves a 45-minute drive from the ABDNHA parking lot, with the last five miles on a jeep road that is rough in places and requires 4WD/high clearance. This is a three-mile (round-trip) hike past pictographs and a native American village to a beautiful overlook. Bring water, sunscreen, good shoes, and a 4WD vehicle. Carpooling is encouraged. Meet in the parking lot of ABDNHA no later than 7:50 am. No charge; call the Nature Center to reserve.

SPECIAL ROCK ART WEEKEND: Dr. Whitley's Lecture, Part 1 - Understanding Native Californian Rock Art (FULL)
2026-02-13 18:30 - 19:30 | ABDNHA Library, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Speaker: David Whitley, Ph.D.
The meanings of pictographs and petroglyphs have long been a mystery to most people, including archaeologists. The result has been a series of supposedly common-sense guesses, like “hunting magic” or “maps to water,” that were offered because people claimed Native Americans themselves did not know why these sites were made or how they were used. But the unpublished field notes of the state’s Native American tribes — the ethnographic record — some dating back to the 1870s, together with extensive published research, paint a different picture. With substantial research to identify and compile this widely scattered information, Dr. Whitley will explain how a clear understanding of the origins, meanings, and uses of the sites results, providing a better understanding and appreciation of the remarkable artistic and intellectual record of California rock art. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, ABDNHA Volunteers: $8. Register at abdnha.org or the Nature Center at 760-767-3098.

Lecture: Where it All Began, El Presidio of San Diego
2026-01-17 18:30 - 19:30 | ABDNHA Library, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
Speaker: Author and Historian Richard Carrico
Join Richard Carrico as he explores Alta California’s first Spanish settlement at Presidio Hill in San Diego. Founded in 1769, the ruins of the mission and fort are now beneath the landscaped hills in Presidio Park. Carrico’s newly released book tells the stories of those who lived at the presidio, including the Kumeyaay people. One highlighted story is of Sinusin, a Kumeyaay woman who married a Spanish soldier and raised her family at the presidio. Carrico’s extensive research draws from Spanish archives, Kumeyaay oral traditions, and nearly a decade of archaeological work at the site. In the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

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Lecture: Native Baskets - Function and Art - CANCELLED
2026-01-02 18:30 - 19:30 | ABDNHA Library, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
THIS PROGRAM IS CANCELLED.
Speaker: Robin TenEyck
Woven baskets have served essential functions in societies worldwide for thousands of years. However, there is also an artistry to creating beautiful baskets, and Robin TenEyck has been weaving exquisite ones for many years. In tonight’s program, Robin displays some of her baskets as well as Kumeyaay and Diegueno baskets from her collection. She also discusses the history of basket making among Southern California’s native people, and how the arrival of the railroads in California led to a significant shift from utilitarian to decorative baskets, prompting the establishment of trading posts and a growing interest in collecting baskets for display as artwork. At the ABDNHA Library. General Public: $12, Members: $10, Volunteers: $8. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.

Field Trip: Ancient Lake Cahuilla
2025-11-08 09:30 - 12:30 | ABDNHA Parking Lot, 652 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA, 92004, United States
FIELD TRIP IS FULL. Call 760-767-3098 to get on waitlist.
Leader: John Peterson, Hydrologist and Geologist
Starting approximately 12,000 years ago, the Colorado River periodically changed its course, flowing north into the Salton Sink and creating a massive prehistoric lake. For thousands of years, this lake filled and dried up repeatedly, becoming an important source of food and water for the Cahuilla, Kumeyaay, and Cocopah peoples. The last time the lake was filled was between 1731 and 1733. Hydrologist John Peterson will lead this half-day field trip to the Salton Sea, providing an opportunity to look back in time and explore the remnants of the ancient lake, including the ancient shoreline (the “bathtub ring”) that is still visible and the fish traps along the old shoreline. 15 people. General Public: $18, Members: $12, Volunteers: $10. Register online or at the Nature Center, 760-767-3098.
