Community Corner
Standing Room Only at Dorothy M. Tavui Library Memorial Dedication Ceremony
More than 50 people attended a dedication ceremony honoring Dorothy Tavui, a woman who spent her life educating people on the Kumeyaay culture.
Sage smoke filled the air as more than 50 people gathered outside the Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center to honor the life and work of Dorothy Tavui―former chairwoman of the San Pasqual band of Kumeyaay Indians who was dedicated to furthering her tribe’s culture.
The Dorothy M. Tavui Memorial Library Dedication was solidified with a brief ceremony that included a presentation from the local Boy Scout color guard and a performance by “Birdsingers”―four men and a boy who sung in harmony while shaking festive gourd rattles.
Friends of the Kumeyaay president Mike Horan shared stories of Tavui and her impact on the center and the children she taught, saying they “wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for Dorothy.”
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“She got things done when the center couldn’t get things done―even with the city,” Horan said of Tavui, who died nearly two years ago.
A close friend also offered a few words just before the ceremony ended.
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“She had a lot of love for the language, the people and the land,” said Jane Dumas of Jamul. “I didn’t expect her to leave me.”
The ceremony was attended Tavui’s husband, Logo, and son, Michael Gemmell of Valley Center, as well as Deputy Mayor Jim Cunningham and Councilman Dave Grosch.
