Dancing Between Two Worlds
One Native American family from Northern California strives to sustain their Kashaya Pomo language and culture through song and dance.
July 28, 2013. Lamont Salgado at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park.
December 14, 2021. Lamont Salgado in downtown Santa Rosa, CA. where he spent much of his childhood. He now lives on the reservation at Stewarts Point with his wife and six children.
I first photographed the Kashaya Pomo dance group “Su Nu Nu Shinal” in 2013 when they performed publicly at Fort Ross State Historic Park. I shared some of the photos with the dancers and they invited me to photograph their annual meeting of several local tribes called “Big Time.”
The idea of the portrait series “Dancing Between Two Worlds” came to me when I approached one of the dancers, Lamont. His face was shrouded by the orange feathers of his headdress and he told me that tradition prohibits him from speaking behind the mask for he was no longer Lamont, but a conduit of his ancestors. I came to understand that the ancient rituals of song and dance were a way of taking each dancer out of their modern lives and connecting with their ancestors and Native culture.
The diptych images reveal the sharp contrast between the dual identities of each dancer.
“I want them to carry on the traditions and not get lost in this modern world.” — Lamont Salgado
“Sometimes you just imagine that right next to you there's somebody there that danced in that Roundhouse, however many years ago and they're there now and they're next to you, and you just feel like you have to do them justice. ” — Kaylee Pinola
June 8, 2013. Kaylee Pinola at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park. She has been dancing with Su Nu Nu Shinal since she was 15. She traveled with her family to Russia where they performed in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Krasnoyarsk.
December 15, 2018. Kaylee Pinola at the University of California, Berkeley on the day of her graduation. She went on to graduate from the University of San Francisco with a Masters degree in Museum Studies. She currently works as a Park Interpretive Specialist.
“When I’m dancing, I’m not Jerry. My ancestors didn’t want me to be this guy. The modern world is putting on a costume for me, something that I'm pretending to be.” Jerry Pinola
August 4, 2018. Jerry Pinola at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park.
April 11, 2018. Jerry Pinola at the Santa Rosa Water Department where he worked as Senior Utilities System Operator. “This job is getting in the way of who Jerry is supposed to be and was called to be. And that's to be a dancer and to be involved in my culture, to be teaching it and working on regalia all the time. I'm getting ready to retire and I'm excited about that. It's the closest I'm ever going to get to be or to know how my ancestors lived.”
“ I think of my family that aren't doing well. And I feel like I'm just dancing for them. When I was younger, my grandma would always say, Go dance for me in the Roundhouse when she was unable to.” —Irene Marrufo
July 28, 2013. Irene Marrufo at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park. “The dance group helps a lot because my uncle’s really big in just having a clean mind and a clean body and just being sober. If you want to live that life, you can’t really do both. "
April 22, 2018. Irene Marrufo at the home of her aunt Lorraine at the Kashia Pomo reservation at Stewarts Point Rancheria. Irene moved back to the reservation to live with her mother and look after her aunt as well, driving them both to Santa Rosa for weekly dialysis sessions. For Irene, the dance is about healing those in her family who are combating an illness.
“Once you're in that moment, once you're in that circle, nothing else matters. Not a single care in the world. So, right now, I am sad without it.”
— Dominic Pinola
August 4, 2018. Dominic Pinola at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park.
September 6, 2021. Dominic Pinola at home in Santa Rosa, CA. He has not danced with Su Nu Nu Shinal since the COVID lockdown began in 2020. He spends most of his time confined to his bedroom playing video games with his friends online. "Life just doesn't feel the same anymore. It just feels like you're missing a big chunk of your heart, your core, who you are.”
“When I dance, it’s like none of this existed. I mean, no buildings, no houses, like I am stepping back in time dancing for my people.” — Kayla Pinola
June 8, 2013. Kayla Pinola at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park. "When you're dancing, you're always dancing for a purpose. And a lot of times it's the purpose of keeping your culture and the traditions alive, or helping somebody who is sick, or it's just helping the younger ones showing them who they are, a Kashaya.”
November 3, 2021. Kayla Pinola in front of her truck at her home in Windsor, CA. She works at the Graton Casino in Rohnert Park, CA, owned and operated by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.
“Some of the people in this world don’t have culture. They have nothing to fall back on. Our kids do. And that’s what we always try to get across to them.” —Lester Pinola
July 29, 2017. Billyrene and Lester Pinola at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park. Lester worries about the younger Kashaya who often get involved in gangs, drugs and alcohol. “We always taught our kids and people that came into our group, don’t bring that. You leave that back there. Once you leave your area where you live, leave that red or blue stuff there. Do not drink and think you’re going to come to the Roundhouse and dance. That’s not gonna happen. Drinking. Smoking. That’s what really tears the group up.”
February 17, 2019. Billyrene and Lester Pinola outside their home in Windsor, CA. Lester is one of the last few living Kashaya fluent in the language. “When I’m gone, I hope they continue what they learned. I’m up there in age. I’m not gonna live forever.”
“Being able to just feel the joy of being Native, be who we are, that’s how I feel the dance is. That’s what it stands for. It brings our people together. Because in reality, without us coming together, we would be nothing.” — Joseph Pinola
July 28, 2013. Joe Pinola at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park.
June 4, 2021. Joe Pinola at home with his stepson Cimewa in Redwood Valley, CA. He coaches baseball for the Ukiah Wildcats.
“ I think the only way you move forward as a Kashaya person is to practice your culture. ” — Karissa Pinola
February 24, 2017. Karissa Pinola preparing backstage at the Paramount Theater with the help of her sister Kaylee. Their dance group participated in a celebration of Native American song and dance titled "Notes from Native America.”
June 13, 2021. Karissa Pinola with her daughter Kaia at their Santa Rosa home. She plans to teach her daughter traditional Kashaya dance and singing.
“Throughout American history, nobody knew Native Americans, nobody cared. But our dance group was designed to go out into the community and show who we are and show that Native Americans do exist.” —Laila Pinola
July 28, 2018. Laila dancing with Su Nu Nu Shinal at the Metini dance circle at Fort Ross State Historic Park.
December 14, 2019. Laila dancing with her grandfather Chet at her 16th birthday party in Windsor, CA.
Published in Lens magazine November, 2022 and Notes from Native California in October, 2022.