{"id":379757,"date":"2025-11-15T02:54:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T02:54:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/379757\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T02:54:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T02:54:17","slug":"why-native-american-heritage-month-matters-in-san-diego","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/379757\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Native American Heritage Month matters in San Diego"},"content":{"rendered":"

November marks the 35th anniversary of Native American Heritage Month<\/a>, a time to honor Native history and cultural contributions across the country. In San Diego\u2019s Gaslamp Quarter, that broader story connects directly to Ruth Ann Thorn \u2014 the district\u2019s first and only Native American business owner.<\/p>\n

In the Gaslamp, you can find all kinds of businesses and architecture tied to the region\u2019s rich history. Two of those businesses \u2014 Exclusive Collections Gallery<\/a> and Native Star Boutique<\/a> \u2014 are owned by Thorn, a registered member of the Rincon Band of Luise\u00f1o<\/a>\/Pay\u00f3mkawichum Indians in Southern California.<\/p>\n

She said there’s still many people who don’t know the true history of Native Americans.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 23,000 years, we bartered and traded with people from all over the world,\u201d Thorn explained, \u201cAnd so the idea that we just got discovered by somebody who got lost at sea and thought they landed in India was really not accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

Visitors admire artwork at Exclusive Collections Gallery in the Gaslamp Quarter on Nov. 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

For many Native people, this month is a time to reflect on past transgressions, celebrate the present and educate others about the 18 federally recognized tribal nations<\/a> that call San Diego County home.<\/p>\n

Thorn said one of the best ways people can participate in Native American Heritage Month is by learning about the past. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth is that if we actually embrace the past, even if it’s a really hard and painful thing for people to look at, it gives us the opportunity to evolve and not continue in that way in the future,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

This month, there are numerous events<\/a> people can attend to gain further understanding of the role Native Americans play in San Diego and in the United States as a whole.<\/p>\n

Thorn said getting angry isn’t always the answer when it comes to combating inaccurate stories about Native people.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A wall of artwork by Ruben Chato Hinojosa inside Exclusive Collections Gallery for Native American Heritage Month on Nov. 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we can do is bring more awareness through kindness,\u201d she said. \u201cI find that building a bridge with people who are non-Native by just sharing with them things that they may not know is really the best way to bring change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thorn\u2019s boutique recently hosted a Native American fashion show, displaying the unique clothing created by Native designers. She also held an art show at her gallery, which has been open since 1995. Each month, she dedicates space in her gallery to showcase Native artists.<\/p>\n

One of the artists featured is Ruben Chato Hinojosa<\/a>, a tribal member of the Lipan Apache<\/a> tribe. He said his art is inspired by his tribe’s culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy people, we’re a drum family,\u201d Hinojosa said. \u201cWe dance to the drum like the traditional dancers and we hear the bird singer. So I painted some bird singers to honor the Kumeyaay and the Luise\u00f1o people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hinojosa\u2019s art is filled with bright colors, emotion and movement. He said one of his favorite paintings is of a feather, and he hopes it uplifts the people who see it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want you to feel \u2014 if you need strength that day \u2014 then you’re like, \u2018Oh, yeah. I feel it.\u2019 And if you just want happiness, you feel it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Historically, Native Americans have used art as a way to share community, spirituality and identity. That’s why Thorn finds it important to give space to these artists and their work.<\/p>\n

\"Ruben<\/p>\n

Ruben Chato Hinojosa stands next to his artwork in Exclusive Collections Gallery for Native American Heritage Month on Nov. 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

Thorn said other business owners can support Native Americans by making intentional space for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething that’s very simple is to contact one of the tribes if you’re having a major public gathering and make sure you open up with the land acknowledgement,\u201d Thorn said. \u201cYou’re acknowledging the people who live there before, but you’re also acknowledging the land that supports you every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"November marks the 35th anniversary of Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor Native history and cultural…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":379758,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,3549,7264,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-379757","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-san-diego","12":"tag-sandiego","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-united-states-of-america","15":"tag-unitedstates","16":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","17":"tag-us","18":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115551461232766383","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/379757\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/379758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=379757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=379757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}