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P9203667 Manny Moreno. Manny Moreno returns to Livingston, a published author, a dream realized through the effort of area educators, his sobriety and his commitment to walking in the ways of his Native American roots.
Native son returns to Livingston
By Kathy Hibma 9-19-09
Chronicle Correspondent
Sobriety and Native American roots have given Monolin “Manny” Moreno opportunity to realize his dream.
Moreno recalls announcing his dream numerous times to those who would listen, those who would not and those who were too drunk to hear. Being true to his word, he did write a book and is now working on a second, his first being poetry and now his second, in process, a compilation of short stories.
The journey has been a long one for Moreno, his body and soul marked with scars and images of the twists and turns, fifty-three years have brought him. Livingston has changed a lot too according to Moreno, not just commercial and residential areas, but the very people themselves.
Ethnicity and racial imbalance played a huge role in Manny’s tumultuous teen years and early twenties along with the fact that his parents, Manuel Bustillos Moreno and Connie Saavedra Moreno died young. Manny was only ten when his father died.
The 1973 LHS Alumni recalls almost suffering a similar fate, crashing his car on the canal bank only a few feet from where his father died. His grandfather also died on the banks of one of the area canals. Moreno points to the irony of the life-blood that the canals have brought to the Valley and lives lost to his family along their banks.
With a bar on almost every corner, alcohol became an easy out for Moreno. In an out of trouble with authorities, some warranted, some not, Manny began to sink into a destructive lifestyle that had him waking up behind bars more than once.
“Not in the drunk tank again.” The realization of a wasted life began to gnaw at Moreno.
At the end of himself, he shared what led him to sobriety, just completing eleven years.
“I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Through the "fireplaces" as we say in the Indian world, I began to see myself in a different light, I continued walking on the Good Red Road, and through the Native American Church, the Sweatlodge and through the Sundance Ceremony in South Dakota, I found strength to live a sober life.”
“I returned to these ways I had learned about thirty plus years ago, and with the help of some elders I learned to live life in a more balanced way.” Moreno is part of the Yaqui tribe of American Indians.
Third generation immigrant to Livingston, Manny remembers his early years in Livingston with fondness sharing where landmarks, family and friends, most now gone, influenced his life. The most notable landmark the Cressey Bridge, gives title to his book of poetry.
According to Moreno, the 1916 Attempted Genocide of Yaquis Sonora, Mexico, led a scout team to scope out the Central Valley. His grandparents came to Livingston in 1917 via a caravan through Texas and Arizona, fleeing the wrath of Poncho Villa who stole Mexican children to take care of his horses, and the Mexican Government
As we continued the interview, memories of stealing ice cream bars from Carlos Market with a cousin caused a flood of other memories to flow. The rope-swing over the Merced River at the Cressey Bridge, the deafening sound of motorist crossing bridge while he and his friends played underneath, as well as putting together sweet potato boxes for twenty-five cents a day: spending his weekly paycheck on penny candy and the Court Theater where you could watch two movies and a cartoon for twenty-five cents.
With a tip of his head and a sideways grin, Manny confessed. “One day, Mr. Carlos caught us with the ice cream tucked underneath our belts., He took us aside and talked to us as the ice cream began to melt…he was great man, rather than turning us in for stealing, he told us to just ask for the ice cream…we never stole from him again.”
Quickly losing interest in the crossword book he was trying to work, friend and Livingston resident, Ernie Carrera corroborated Moreno’s stories. Livingston held different experiences and privileges depending on the color of a man’s skin.
Now in his early fifties, Manny has come to realize that skin color is not a true sign of character. That there are people of every race bent on mistreatment of others. “I now realize that it doesn’t matter if a person is purple or green, there are persons of true character in every race; those are the ones I call friends.”
Carrera agreed.
Moreno credits several teachers with nourishing his desire to write, Mrs. Craft, Mrs. Ritchie and Miss Eismann.
When Moreno came to Miss Eismann, he claims, “She set me straight, encouraging my creative writing.”
“I remember saying to her, ‘You mean I can write anything I want without getting in trouble’, there was so much freedom in that…I began to write everything.”
Of Moreno, Rosemary Eismann writes, “Manuel Moreno was a member of the Upward Bound program sponsored at the time by Stanislaus State. He was recommended by Livingston High School principal John Lenker and counselor Vince Yaeger. He always was a poet even as a young man. I know his teachers are very proud of is accomplishments and applaud the release of his book of poetry celebrating his life as well as the community of Livingston.”
At the conclusion of our interview, a redtail hawk began flying above the treetops. “That’s a good sign” proclaimed Moreno. The hawk is good medicine.”
The hawk may also symbolize the full-circle Manny’s life has made, the peace that he has found back where he began.
Copies of Moreno’s Poetry, The Bridge is Gone, book can be purchased from http://back40publishing.com. Manny can be reached by email at monolinpcmkr1@aol.com
Moreno has also been published in Song of the San Joaquin and has been featured on Native American Radio KKUP: Indian Time,and on Native Voice TV He will be a featured speaker at Modesto Jr. College on October 27th as part of a feature on Native American Literature.
Reporter Kathy Hibma can be reached at 667-8048 or kathy@hibmaphoto.com
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Posted by memanny on 2008-10-09 22:46:22 | Rating: | Views: 48
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Well done manny, i am so pleased for you, xx
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Posted by misselusive
on 2008-10-27 06:57:30
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Thank you.
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Posted by memanny
on 2008-10-27 17:02:43
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I am so proud of you Manny.
So very proud.
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Posted by DifficultSoul
on 2008-11-01 13:44:35
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coming from you DS means so much I have much to accomplish for our people.
Elder's Meditation of the Day - November 1
"Times change but principles don't. Times change but lands do not. Times change but our culture and our language remain the same. And that's what you have to keep intact. It's not what you wear - it's what's in your heart."
--Oren Lyons, ONONDAGA
Going back to the old ways doesn't mean giving up electricity, homes and cars. It means living by the same principles, laws and values that our ancestors lived by. This will allow us to live successfully in today's world. The spirituality our ancestors lived is the same spirituality we need in these modern times. There are too many influences from TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and negative role models that are guiding our lives in a bad way. Our stability is in the laws, principles and values that our ancestors were given and that our Elders teach us.
Great Spirit, let me live my life in a spiritual way.
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Posted by memanny
on 2008-11-01 14:32:12
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