Who we are

Since 2003, the 501c3 Nonprofit Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, led by Elder Ernest Siva (Cahuilla/Serrano), has saved and shared Southern California’s Indigenous cultures, languages, history and traditional arts.

DOROTHY RAMON worked tirelessly in her final years to help save the region’s own Serrano Language and cultural knowledge. Her nephew, Ernest Siva (Cahuilla-Serrano), formed the 501(c)3 Nonprofit Learning Center to carry on and expand her work to include all First Nations of Southern California. Dorothy Ramon symbolizes those Native American Elders, brought up knowing their language and cultures, who share this knowledge.

LEARNING CENTER emphasizes that we are not a museum; we don’t collect artifacts and focus on the past. Instead, we save and share Native American knowledge now, and for the future. By considering traditional teachings and cultures, languages, history, and arts, we bring honor to our ancestors and to Creation itself. Through vibrant collaboration with tribal and other communities, we nurture and help new generations gain what otherwise might be lost.