Harrah’s Southern California Resort in the Rincon Band reservation recently unveiled a new bronze statue honoring native women called “Milky Way Woman.”
According to tribal Chairman Bo Mazzetti the statue of a woman and over her three woven baskets with genuine Luiseño patterns and stars, was meant to honor the women of the tribe, who were frequently the most important influence in the lives of their children.
The Milky Way theme refers to the tribal tradition that after death members of the tribe travel to the Milky Way to dwell forever, where they can from time to time be consulted by their descendants. The state is permanently placed in front of the lobby to the hotel.
The statue is more than 1 ½ normal size and was created by the well-known Indian sculptor Doug Hyde.
Mazzetti said “We are honored to share our history and culture with Harrah’s Resort SoCal visitors through this beautiful art piece,” adding, “This bronze statue, named the ‘Milky Way Woman,’ is representative of who we are as the Rincon people. This image also embodies the essence of the Milky Way which symbolizes our ancestors looking over us.”
Casino General Manager Darrell Pilant said the casino is a big advocate of art and has already located several pieces of art on the property and plans to put several more.
He said “Milky Way Woman” was the first of six works that will be placed over the next five years. He noted that the casino would be spending over $600,000 on the initiative.
“We are honored to showcase this outstanding work of art and the long, and storied, cultural history of the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians that this piece represents,” said Pilant. “This is the first of many, planned art installations at Harrah’s Resort SoCal to bring the rich history of the tribe to life for our resort guests.”
