Healer, spiritual teacher and culture bearer, Bernice Torrez has left us a treasury of sacred knowledge, traditions and cultural practices. Vibrant stories, legends, visions, dreams, and autobiographical material weave a beautiful portrait of an inspiring woman and the Kashaya tribe to whom she belonged.
“I met Grandmother Bernice Torrez in 1986 when our small Esselen tribe was just coming together. We had lost our language and our cultural and spiritual ways. Even though she was from the Kashaya tribe, Grandmother Bernice came to us with knowledge of the Esselen people! She taught us our traditional songs, dances and ceremonies, and taught us how to build our sacred ceremonial sites. She was almost solely instrumental in the resurrection and rebuilding of our tribe.”
– Tom Little Bear Nason, Tribal Chairman, Esselen Tribe, Monterey County, California.
“Grandma Bernice Torrez wanted to share the cultural knowledge and traditions of her people when she was alive. She wanted to make sure that she left all of that for future generations before she went to Spirit World. This is so important, and it does have to be honored. She was truly one of the most amazing women I have ever met and had the privilege of knowing.”
– Ann Marie Sayers (Indian Canyon Nation), Tribal Chairperson, Indian Canyon, Hollister, California.
