Deepest bows of gratitude to the Tongva, Tataviam, Serrano, Kizh, and Chumash Peoples for stewarding the lands and waters of what we now call Los Angeles County.

Since much of our work takes place on the internet, Adrienne Wong of SpiderWebShow reminds us to "also take a moment to consider the legacy of colonization embedded within the technology, structures, and ways of thinking we use every day. We are using equipment and high-speed internet, not available in many Indigenous communities. Even the technologies that are central to the work we do and the art we mark, leave significant carbon footprints, contributing to changing climates that disproportionately affect Indigenous People worldwide. Let us recognize this shared responsibility to make good of this time and for each of us to consider our roles in rematriation, reconciliation, and decolonization."

Trees reflected on water creating a picture with a mirrored effect

I am deeply grateful to a diverse lineage of teachers, including, but not limited to, Thich Nhat Hanh, adrienne maree brown, Prentis Hemphill, Damon Azali-Rojas, Sarah Jawaid, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Larry Yang, Alice Wong, Susan Raffo, Grace Lee Boggs, and Norma Wong. To deepen my mindfulness practice, I completed East Bay Meditation Center’s Practice in Transformative Action Program (PiTA 9), which equips justice practitioners with tools to nurture hearts, minds, and bodies. AORTA’s Facilitate for Freedom Fundamentals Training taught me that facilitating group processes is both a rigorous and tender practice of inching toward liberation together.

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