“We Are All Related” Ernest Siva Interview

Ernest Siva (Serrano/Cahuilla) is a retired professor of Music at UCLA and the founder of the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center in Banning, California. Siva is a traditional singer and musician who is a member of the Morongo Band of Indians.

Interview with Ernest Siva

In his interview, “We Are All Related,” Siva explains that at the time of Serrano creation, the Creator explained that one day “Younger Brothers” would arrive in their homelands. The Creator saw the coming of Non-Native settlers, described in the oral literature about creation as “Younger Brothers” who would act impulsively and make mistakes in their treatment of other people and the environment. The Creator told Serrano people that they must learn the ways of “Younger Brother” and teach them how to act in accordance with Indigenous creation. He mentions the cemetery at the former St. Boniface Indian School in Banning, California, and the fact that repatriation of human remains is an ongoing process. The Creator taught Serrano that “Younger Brother” would make mistakes, but Serrano would help them see these mistakes. The Creator told the Serrano not to carry hate or hold onto bitterness in spite of what “Younger Brother” did to them.