The University of California, Irvine is located on the ancestral homelands of the Tongva and Acjachemen nations. However, land acknowledgments are just a first step in meaningful and lasting allyship with our local Native communities, and remain hollow without concrete actions to back them up. Below are some resources and information on different ways to learn about and support the Tongva and Acjachemen.

  • Please read this article by Charles Sepulveda (Tongva & Acjachemen)."Kuuyam" is the Tongva word for guest - and this article helps us think about what it means to be a good guest on Native lands.

  • Angela Mooney D'Arcy (Acjachemen) is the Executive Director of the Sacred Places Institute, which collaborates with Native nations throughout California to protect its sacred lands, waters, and cultures. Please visit their website, linked above, to learn more, and consider donating to support their Indigenous youth partners.

  • It’s important to remember that Indigenous nations are the original stewards of this land no matter where you are located, and we should privilege Traditional Ecological Knowledge when thinking about ecological sustainability. This includes:

    • Gardening with plants Indigenous to your region. California Native Plant Society is a wonderful resource for learning more about Indigenous plants local to you.

    • Consult with Native plant experts and nurseries when thinking about how to be environmentally responsible. Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano sells Native California plants, and have staff on hand to help answer your questions about sustainable gardening. Native plant expert Nicholas Hernandez (Cahuilla and Apache) is also available to hire for Indigenous planting practices, sells Native California seeds, and regularly hosts online classes that centers Traditional Ecological Knowledge. His work has been featured on KCET and the Autry Museum of the American West. Find him on Instagram @_native_hummingbird

This land acknowledgement was written by Ph.D. Candidate Stephanie Narrow and is presented courtesy of the History Graduate Student Association.

For more information, visit https://diversity.lib.uci.edu/land-acknowledgement