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| Preston Arrow-weed and Mucaw Jefferson sing and tell traditional stories at an Earth Day Fair on April 20, 2002, in El Centro, California |
Very few members of the Quechan and Kumyaa peoples who live along the California-Mexico border know the sacred songs that celebrate the rites of passage from birth to death that are integral to their culture. As one who still speaks the native language and who understands and knows those songs in their correct order, Preston Arrow-weed is committed to preserving the past for coming generations. He is continuing to immerse his grandson, Mucaw Jefferson, in the traditional ways and to teach him the funeral songs that are essential to their traditional Quechan beliefs.
