Voices of Tamal-liwa: Exhibition Opening at CIMCC
Join us for the exhibition opening of Voices of Tamal-liwa. This exhibition opening and public event at the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center (CIMCC) will include a panel presentation, film screening of three short films and discussion of family histories of Coast Miwok people as told by participating Coast Miwok tribal members. This public reception and exhibition opening will include a community gathering and light snacks.
ABOUT VOICES OF TAMAL-LIWA:
Voices of Tamal-liwa is an exhibition of Coast Miwok stories, family histories, sacred place, and contemporary Indigenous people of Tomales Bay, Marin and Sonoma territories spanning from north of San Francisco Bay along the Marin-Sonoma Coast.
Voices of Tamal-liwa exhibition explores these family stories in photos, both historical and contemporary, digital storytelling, personal documentaries, audio recordings and historical documents. The Voices of Tamal-liwa exhibition is open for viewing at the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center from October 2nd through November 7th. Please check CIMCC Museum hours for your visit.
MEET THE PANELISTS:
Elissa Simons | Olamentko Band of the Coast Miwok Tribe, Councilwoman, Coast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin - a multi-talented independent artist and offers her production, videography and photography expertise for organizations such as the Museum of the American Indian and Huukuiko, Inc, a tribal organization formed by The Coast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin.
Joe Sanchez | Elder of The Coast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin and Hoipu, Rancho Nicasio - a lineal descendant of the Huukuiko Band of Coast Miwok of Marin County on his material side and the Dinè people on his paternal side. He makes regular presentations on Coast Miwok history to schools and community groups throughout the County.
Theresa Harlan | Jemez Pueblo and an enrolled member of Kewa Pueblo of New Mexico - Born in San Francisco Theresa Harlan is blessed with two families who shape and inform her self knowledge and awareness as an Indigenous woman. By birth she is Jemez Pueblo and an enrolled member of Kewa Pueblo of New Mexico. Theresa is the daughter of her adopted parents Elizabeth Campigli Harlan (Támal-ko/Coast Miwok) and John Harlan (Euro-American). Theresa was raised and nourished on the stories and lives of her Támal-ko/Coast Miwok family and ancestors. As an advocate for Indigenous ancestral lands and the director of the Alliance for Felix Cove, she works to rematriate her mother’s Felix family home at Point Reyes National Seashore. Theresa and her family are featured in the Emergence Magazine podcast, “Coming Home to the Cove: A Story of Family, Memory and Stolen Land”. Published essays include, “A View of Our Home, Tomales Bay, Calif.: Portrait of a Coast Miwok Family, 1930-1945” in Our People, Our Land, Our Images: Indigenous Photographers, Heyday Books, 2006.
Haley Rains | Enrolled member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation - Haley Day Rains (Mvskoke) is a photographer, filmmaker, and UC President’s/Andrew Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Film and Digital Media at UC Santa Cruz. She earned her BA from Haskell Indian Nations University and her MA and Ph.D. in Native American Studies from the University of California, Davis. Haley taught Film & Digital Media and Native American Studies at UC Davis. In 2021, she earned an Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award. Haley was born and raised in Billings, Montana. Her research and creative practice center on cultural and economic self-determination and environmental sustainability in historically underserved communities. In 2025, the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Stanford School of Sustainability recognized Haley as one of 40 of the world’s most innovative changemakers focused on environmental sustainability. Haley also works with the Native American Media Alliance, an organization dedicated to increasing authentic Native American self-representation in film, television, and new media. Haley helps Indigenous creatives develop and launch their careers in the film and TV industry. In 2024, Haley earned a Community Leadership Award at the LA SKINS FEST. This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit www.calhum.org.