UC Riverside

This dissertation analyzes Native fiestas of Southern California. Although Native fiestas appear in various narratives concerning Southern California Native history, there is to date no study solely dedicated to analyzing the significance and impact of these events to Southern California Native and regional history. The dissertation traces Native events of tradition, later deemed fiestas by Spaniards, from their Spanish pre-invasion origin and follows fiesta activity throughout the Mission, Californio, and Euro-American Periods. Significantly, it presents a new analysis of Native fiestas, which have traditionally been understudied by academia, in order to present a new historical lens through which to consider Southern California Native and regional history.