Old West Saviors

Soldiering Onward after the LA Inferno
Unsung heroes like Dr. Brian Dervin Dillon are emerging after the California fires with a message…listen to the earth and the way of the Native folk.

Brian with Maya crew in Guatemala-2011—The Native people listen to the earth…perhaps we should too? Courtesy Dr. Brian Dervin Dillon

From the ancient land of the Maya to the burning hills along the Pacific coast recently enveloped in the poisonous smoke and destruction of the LA fires, Dr. Brian Dervin Dillon has helped to protect, defend and preserve special places. His training in archaeology and a “hands-on approach” to education as a professor are tribute enough, but we can also add historic preservation, and a vast array of publications to that list. Generally, these topics should work hand-in-glove to create a better map of what happened in a given time and place. The skill sets needed to complete the provenance and detailed hard work of rebuilding the lives and homes of residents—as well as restoring special places like Will Rogers State Park and Camp Josepho—are immense.

Brian teaching archaeology classes—Church Rock Site, Redding, California California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection

Brian, a fifth-generation Californian and the son and grandson of valiant fighting warriors, has the tools and the vision. With his cadre of colleagues and students he could be in the forefront of this enduring work as he was during numerous past assignments. “Many times I was the very first guy on different forest fires, including arson fires, after containment, doing the post-fire archaeological assessments,” he says.
“While I have helped record and save hundreds of sites, most will continue to be known only to the indigenous groups with whom I have had the privilege of working (Cahuilla, Chumash, Karuk, Paiute, Pit River, Pomo, Sierra Miwok, Juaneño to name a few). Establishing the legal status of places, which are now protected not only by the Indian Reservations surrounding them, but by federal law is a good path to follow. I also fortunately interviewed the last living Indian woman who remembered the names of the villages and the cemeteries and their locations on traditional tribal lands long lost to history.”

Will Rogers State Historic Park was a total loss after the Palisades fire. Courtesy California State Parks

Hopefully, that connection can be mirrored in the present work that faces museums and destroyed historic sites.
Dillon’s dedication over more than 50 years to “saving without revealing” has been a challenge. Sometimes preserving a place of great historical value or beauty is the kiss of death if one is not careful to monitor the area and prevent looting. With the devastation of these epic fires, one must move fast and that is what he knows how to do best. Some of his favorite places now saved range up and down the California coast and even into ancient Guatemala, where he was a well-known archaeologist working with Mayan teams to preserve their own heritage for over 50 years.
Regarding the present situation, Brian notes: “It is incumbent upon us to work as hard as we can to preserve what remains of our far Western heritage… I will probably write something about Camp Josepho, the 1920s Boy Scout Camp that was donated by the Russian immigrant who ‘made good’ in America.” This beloved site in the Santa Monica Mountains was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades Fire. Will Rogers State Park, another gift to the people, went up in smoke too. The Oklahoma/Cherokee cowboy pundit, and actor donated it to the people decades ago, and it has turned to ashes along with many personal items and artifacts from Rogers’ intriguing life.
There will be many dozens more as time reveals what requisites remain. For certain, this bilingual, innovative and educator de primero will be working to help overcome the grief, the loss and the need to better protect such resources in the future. His new work has just begun.

The burning hills of the Hurst Fire—tribal groups have had controlled burns for centuries. Ccourtesy Lynda A. Sánchez Collection

Lynda A. Sánchez has been writing about the West
since 1978. The award-winning author, historian and TW contributing editor lives with the ghosts of Billy and others on her ranch along the Rio Bonito in Lincoln, New Mexico. Long an advocate for preserving the West, she has written six books and over 400 articles. Ms. Sánchez urges folks to send success stories about saving/preserving the West to her at: diamondjnl@pvtn.net. Ándale!