We acknowledge that the land on which we currently occupy is the ancestral home and unceded territory of the Yuhaviatam/ Maarenga’yam people, commonly referred by their Spanish name “Serrano”, and the Cahuilla people. This land was stolen by Spanish, Mexican, and then American profiteers through acts of forced servitude, genocide, and deceit.
As a land-based business, we acknowledge that we actively benefit from the ongoing system of settler colonialism, which includes the genocide waged against the Serrano people and the theft of their land.
This acknowledgement is a necessary, however small, component of a much larger effort towards collectively building a world where right relationship is possible.
We continually ask ourselves: “What does it mean to occupy and benefit from stolen land? How do we come into right relationship to this land and to its people?”
We feel it is our obligation as a guest to this land to listen to Native voices, in the spirit of building ongoing accountable relationship.
The Serrano and Cahuilla people are still here. They continue to act as stewards to the land, as they always have. We are committed to uplifting them and their work.
As a gesture of support, a portion of resources and proceeds of the Hi Desert Ranch goes towards supporting Indigenous stewardship and recovery of their rightful homelands.
“A Land Acknowledgement is a formal statement that recognizes the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. ”
WHY DO WE RECOGNIZE THE LAND?
“To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory you reside on, and a way of honouring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. It is important to understand the long standing history that has brought you to reside on the land, and to seek to understand your place within that history.
Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense, or historical context: colonialism is a current ongoing process, and we need to build our mindfulness of our present participation.”
From LSPIRG.org
Land Acknowledgement resources:
- Land Acknowledgement Guide by the Metzi Project
- The Honor Native Land Guide by the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture (grassroots arts movement)
- Are you planning to do a Land Acknowledgement? by Dr. Debbie Reese Nambe Pueblo
CALIFORNIA-SPECIFIC RESOURCES
- A helpful framing of the Southern California area: Native Americans in L.A. Almost Saw Their Culture Erased — Now They’re Getting It Back [LA Weekly Article]
- For those of us who grew up in California, this is a very helpful article to start to learn undo some of the myths we were taught from a young age: Teaching the Truth About California Missions
- California Native-led organizations that provide ways for non-Native residents to donate in the spirit of reciprocity and exchange:
- The Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy in Los Angeles (traditional Tongva region)
- The Sogorea Te Land Trust in the Bay Area (Ohlone Territory)
- We highly recommend the book Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States.
JOSHUA TREE-SPECIFIC RESOURCES
The following resources are from Non-Native voices. Non-Native voices can help provide additional context, however their words of secondary importance:
- Joshua Tree resident Chris Clarke is an environmentalist and wrote the following relevant articles:
- Joshua Tree National Park has some additional historical reference information however the article uses language like “the land was empty” and “vanished people”. This language perpetuates the Myth of the Vanishing Indian, the idea that people native to this land passively disappeared. This myth is both inaccurate and harmful, as the “disappearance” of Native Californians was due to the forces of colonization.