

Haven't We Built All The Mission Walls We Ever Want To Build?
"I want to have conversations with my relatives, not battles. Let’s save our ferocity for decolonizing, and give our compassion and patience to one another. I want to be part of a strong, deep California Indian future. I’m not saying we can’t disagree or engage in critical thinking, even argue back and forth - but haven’t we built all the mission walls we ever want to build?" --Deborah A. Miranda (Esselen/Chumash) From "Being California Indian in a Post-Canonization World"


Creating and fostering relationships with the people matter.
"For example, Eurocentric methods rely on objectivity as the standard norm in scientific inquiry. While objectivity has its place, it can also close off sources of knowledge. Indigenous methods acknowledge tribal cultural protocol, which are the actions that a person takes to create a relationship with another person or group. Therefore, to pursue research with individuals from tribal nations, creating and fostering relationships with the people matter. As a researcher, I do