SAN MARCOS ---- In an event to honor the opening of the first exhibit to be displayed at Cal State San Marcos's new Kellogg Library, students, professors and members of the community gathered Wednesday night to hear the words of American Indian tribal leaders and the songs of their people.

The exhibit, known as the Indian Rock Garden Project, is a multimedia display that details the culture of the San Luis Rey Band of Luiseno Indians as well as their attempts to revitalize a sacred garden they once used and recently re-obtained from the city of Vista.Ý

The display is the result of a two-year collaboration between a class of CSUSM students and the band, who gathered during this and last year's spring semesters to work on projects about the culture.

"These are modern day people trying to hold on to their culture," said Juel Franklin, a student who remains involved in the collaboration.

To begin the event, Pauma Tribal Chairman Chris Devers gave an invocation and blessing that asked the audience to remember the people and activities that had once thrived in the hills where the campus now sits.

He also introduced Mark Mojado, a member of the San Luis Rey Band and key figure in bringing together the students and tribal members.Ý

Audience members also had the opportunity to hear traditional songs by the Tishmal Singers, a group of seven women from the Acjachemen tribe, a sister tribe to the Luisenos.

The purpose of the exhibit is to expose students and the community to the culture both historically and as it exists today, said Russell Romo, a spokesperson for the San Luis Rey Band.

"With the exhibit here, it will show a lot of students that there are still a lot of Indians surviving in North County," Romo said.

The students that worked with the band are part of two classes taught cooperatively by anthropology professor Bonnie Bade and art professor Deborah Small, who respectively teach ethno-botany and computer arts.

Taking on group projects, the students studied and recorded various aspects of the Luiseno culture including basket weaving, story-telling and dancing through photography, art and video that are now on display at the library.

Franklin, 22 and student Margarita Preciado, 21, came to the event that took place in front of the library to see the results of their work from the class they took last spring. Both women are enrolled in the class this semester.

An anthropology minor, Franklin worked on an "elder-ography" that recorded the life of the oldest living member of the band last spring. The four hours of recorded interviews will be later added to the exhibit through the on-going collaboration.

Business student Bacha Enkwa, 28, also attended the new exhibit because he wanted to learn more about the culture on display.

"It's very interesting even for the students because it helps us better understand and accept other cultures," Enkwa said.

Rita Smith, a tribal elder and sister of Romo, said she said was impressed by how hard the students had worked on both the event and the display.

"I never dreamed how beautiful it would be," she said.

The exhibit is located on the third floor of the library and will be housed there until May when it moves to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.