Redbird's Blanket Drive a Success despite COVID challenges

It was a very different gathering from those in the past - especially for a silver anniversary event - but it was successful nonetheless. Redbird's 25th annual blanket drive took place at the main entrance to the Simi Valley Town Center Mall, in front of Larsen's restaurant. There were already donations arriving at 11 AM sharp.

The event normally takes places indoors in the Town Center Mall Community Center room which property manager Jeffrey Dijulius has allowed Redbird the use of for the last seven or eight years. But anticipating a surge in COVID cases with cooler weather, Redbird asked if the spiritual gathering could be held outside in 2020.

There are normally two to three Native American drums, dancers, food, chair massage, acupuncture donated by Dr. David Lee of Thousand Oaks, Bank of America volunteers on hand, and any number of special songs and ceremonies. This year was a little more subdued, with nowhere to set up the drums once other COVID modifications - like moving the giant Christmas tree to the front of the mall - took place.

Fernando-Tataviam-Chumash storyteller and culture bearer Alan Salazar told stories and brought copies of his beautiful children's book, Tata, the Tataviam Towhee, illustrated by Mona Lewis of Sunsprite Handwork; Juan Castillo, Gary Pickett and Debra Delahunty played flute, there was a Board meeting held at the end of the day in the shade provided by Redbird's Suburban, and the group was joined for the day by long-time supporters Keith Salvas, Richard Rudman of Remote Possibilities, and rounding out the day right at 3 PM, Tina Calderon, Chumash/Tataviam tribal member and matriarch of the Standing Brave drum.

A truck load of blankets will be headed to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation via USPS over the next few weeks. The items will be allowed to "cool down" (literally) at Chilao School in the Angeles National Forest before being shipped, to mitigate any possibility of virus transfer.

If you missed the blanket drive and would still like to contribute, you can.

To purchase blankets through Amazon Smile:

https://smile.amazon.com/hz/ch...

To donate to Redbird via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalm...

To put a check in the mail:

Redbird, P.O. Box 702, Simi Valley, CA 93062

To learn more about Redbird please visit www.RedbirdsVisions.org

To purchase a copy of Tata, the Tataviam Towhee by Alan Salazar and Mona Lewis, please visit https://www.sunspritehandwork....