I wish to acknowledge that I live and work upon the unceded lands of many Indigenous peoples including the Ramaytush Ohlone or Oljon in the coastal region between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, and the Tataviam, Tongva, and Chumash peoples across the Santa Clarita Valley and Los Angeles Basin.

I honor and reflect on their deep relationship with the lands, waters, and ecosystems that continue to sustain life here.

I also acknowledge the more-than-human world: the redwoods, the coast live oaks, the rivers and creeks, the ocean, the fog, the soil, and all the living fauna who hold memory, language, and belonging of their own. This land does not belong to us; rather, we belong in relationship with it.

In this time of climate change, and ecological loss, I recognize the responsibility to listen, and act with care, honoring the land’s resilience and the living systems that continue to teach us reciprocity.

I want to acknowledge my familial roots and my close loved ones who have supported me in ways that have shaped my connection to love, my Mexican heritage, and to the power of relationships with others and with myself. Without them, I would not know belonging in the same way.

And lastly, I honor the unique opportunity to be here. To be part of this Earth, and to be free in the ongoing process of discovery, curiosity, and openness.