Ochurte, Rufino, 189?-1977

Rufino Ochurte (Kiliwa) was a research consultant known for speaking and preserving the Kiliwa language, which is defined by UNESCO as a critically endangered language. Born in approximately the 1890s, he lived in Arroyo de León, Baja California, Mexico until his death in 1977. He worked with researchers including anthropologist Ralph C. Michelsen and linguist Mauricio Mixco as a consultant on Kiliwa language and culture. The subtitle of Mixco's book Kiliwa Texts, “When I Have Donned My Crest of Stars,” is a quote taken from an interview with Ochurte.