Justin Farmer, Ipay
Justin Farmer, Ipay
THE JUSTIN FARMER FOUNDATION
A Privately Endowed Charitable Fund
Justin Farmer's interest in Southern California Indian matters started 66 years before he was born with the birth of his maternal grandmother, Bernardine Osuna, who was born in 1860 in the San Pasqual Valley, near San Diego.
His infant grandmother, Bernardine, was "acquired" by a non-Indian family and raised as a household "domestic" — she never attended a day of school in her life and at her death in 1923, she could neither read nor write.
However, his grandmother signed with an X, a deed to approximately 10,000 acres of land. Few women in the 1800's owned land, regardless of their reading or writing skills, leave alone legal ownership to 10,000 acres.
In spite if her indentured youth, all schools and businesses closed in her honor on the day of her funeral — not many non-Indians can make such a claim.
As a product of her indenturing, Bernardine was taught to intensely dislike Indians. That prejudice against her own Native American race was passed on to her children (Justin's mother) and to her grandchildren (Justin). Neither Justin's grandmother or his mother would permit an Indian in the front door, and certainly a piece of Indian art, such as a basket, was not welcome in their houses.
As Justin reached middle age he came to grips with his Native American Indian roots and even started collecting Indian baskets and art. This cultural interest alienated Justin from his mother and siblings, but Justin found peace within himself through his Indian art collecting and his cultural heritage.
Justin's basketry activities brought him into contact with his cousin, Christina Beresford Osuna, who lived on the Santa Ysabel Reservation, northeast of San Diego. In the early 1970's Christina was one of only three known California Indian weavers still able to make baskets in the traditional way. Under her tutelage Justin learned much of Christina's basketry knowledge.
Over the next three decades Justin conducted many classes, lectures and demonstrations on Southern California Indian basketry. He is quite religious in his adherence to the traditional methods and materials. Justin gathers his own materials, prepares them using traditional methods, and he uses them in his traditional weaving techniques.
Justin eventually amassed a large collection of 215 Mission baskets and 1,000 pieces of primarily Southern California artifacts. He sold his entire collection in 2002 to the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians, near Temecula.
With proceeds from that sale Justin established THE JUSTIN FARMER FOUNDATION which offers grants to Indian students doing research on local Indian arts, artifacts, culture, or history.
In 2004, Justin authored and his foundation published "Southern California Luiseño Indian Baskets," a book on the study of 76 Luiseño Baskets in the Riverside Museum Collection. Justin has also authored and coauthored a number of other treatises on Indian basketry, religion and deer hunting.
Justin Farmer served on the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian, The Autry Center, in Los Angeles, and he is a member of virtually every Indian museum in Southern California.
Mr. Farmer is currently working on two manuscripts, "Indian Cradle Boards of California and the Western Great Basin," and a manuscript regarding Indian baskets for the Pechanga Indian Cultural Center.
Justin Farmer, Ipay
THE JUSTIN FARMER FOUNDATION
A Privately Endowed Charitable Fund
1954 Evergreen Avenue
Fullerton, CA 92835
Tel: 714.256.1260
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