Tule River Indian Tribe preserves its culture on this Native American Heritage Month

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Every Tuesday, Carly Burrough hosts online Zoom presentations to educate youth and adults about Tule River Indian Tribe's history.

Carly and other tribal members teach about cultural topics including traditional tales, casino history and gatherings.

Carly started the zoom classes in 2020 during the pandemic.

It was a way for her to connect deeper with her ancestral background and share it with the community.

"I'm an eager student, I want to learn my culture and my language, so when I heard that it kind of made it harder for me to get that teaching- so that's what came to mind, this is an opportunity." says Carly.

The courses also help preserve the tribe's native language, Yowlumne, which is near and dear to Carly's heart.

"Passionate and kind of heartbroken at the same time is knowing that it was almost dead, the language, there are rarely any speakers of it, no one fluent," Carly explains.

Young students, like 12 year old Harry Bowman, attend weekly classes.

"I do think there is a need to learn the culture because in the future I can teach my kids these lessons and tell them everything I did up here." says Harry.

For Harry's younger relative, 9 year old Clinton Teague, his favorite part is the storytelling.

"It's fun and it's also exciting to learn," Clinton says.

The goal in having young students is for them to continue the teachings and preserve the culture for generations to come.

Weekly classes are open to anyone who wants to join. If you are interested there is one happening this upcoming Tuesday.

For the Zoom link or more information, you can reach Carly Burrough at 559-361-2878.