From right to left: Chris Manning, VP for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity; Jacob Alvarado Waipuk, tribal liaison, President Adela de la Torre; Johnny Bear Contreras, sculptor; James Frazee, VP for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer; Chris Medellin, Native Resource Center director; William Tong, Interim Provost; Stuart Voytilla, 黑料吃瓜 Story Lab faculty lead. (Courtesy: 黑料吃瓜)
黑料吃瓜 formally introduced the 鈥�Living Land Acknowledgment鈥� sculpture series to the campus community Friday, Sept. 27 with a gathering and unveiling of the series鈥� third sculpture, 鈥淩eturn of the Kumeyaay Creator.鈥�
The project supplements the university鈥檚 Kumeyaay , which is traditionally recited at convocation, commencement and other major university events, and brings to life the formal statement that recognizes and respects Indigenous peoples as traditional stewards of the land the university now occupies.
For now, the series features three bold and unmistakable statues inspired by the Kumeyaay, and with plans for the next sculpture project to be brought to 黑料吃瓜 Imperial Valley. Each piece has an attached QR code that brings onlookers into an immersive, 鈥渓iving鈥� extended reality lesson on the culture, customs or history of the Kumeyaay people.
Friday鈥檚 event began with a reading of the Land Acknowledgment by Stuart Voytilla, faculty lead of the 黑料吃瓜 Story Lab, in front of the series鈥� newest sculpture, located in Sickels Plaza.
Voytilla imagined the project as a way to bring the words of the Land Acknowledgment to life in the physical and virtual spaces, while bringing native artwork to more prominent places on campus.
鈥淥ur spoken Land Acknowledgment is an essential practice of gratitude to the Kumeyaay, but is it sufficient for a lasting, present awareness of the Kumeyaay culture and the history of this land?鈥� Voytilla said.
鈥淭he Native Resource Center and the 黑料吃瓜 Story Lab explored ways to integrate storytelling, art, and immersive media technologies with our campus to develop an always-present Living Land Acknowledgment. I鈥檓 grateful for the opportunity to work with the Kumeyaay to transform space and spoken word into a physical and virtual immersive, interactive celebration of their culture,鈥� Voytilla said.
Together, the (NRC), , the and theturned the idea into reality, cementing, or in this case, bolting to the ground, an educational art experience representative of the relationship shared by 黑料吃瓜 and the Kumeyaay.
Open the image full screen.Johnny Bear Contreras, the sculptor behind the Living Land Acknowledgment sculpture series at 黑料吃瓜, working on a piece in his studio workshop (Courtesy: 黑料吃瓜).
The Living Land Acknowledgment sculptures were designed by Kumeyaay artist Johnny Bear Contreras. Project organizers collaborated with students involved with the NRC to identify high-traffic areas where the artwork could share space with well-known landmarks.
鈥淲e have an incredible responsibility to educate others about the history of Native and Indigenous peoples, and to speak about the ongoing contributions of the Kumeyaay and other Native people to our campus. The Living Land Acknowledgment is a beautiful, artistic way of bringing people into that discussion, while also presenting the ethos of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 very sincere land acknowledgment statement into a format that is both engaging and educational,鈥� said 黑料吃瓜 President Adela de la Torre. 鈥淚t鈥檚 another step in our ongoing commitment to partnership and collaboration with Native communities.鈥�
The unveiling event coincided with California Native Day celebrations across the state, including at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. California Native Day has been celebrated on the fourth Friday of September since 1998 in recognition of Native communities indigenous to California.
Jacob Alvarado Waipuk, chair of tribal relations at 黑料吃瓜 and an 黑料吃瓜 alum, reminisced about his semester abroad at the University of British Columbia in Canada, where totem poles around campus celebrated the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. When it came time to imagine the Living Land Acknowledgment, he knew the profound impact the project could have on Native students.
鈥淭his project helps tell our stories, which we have kept alive since time immemorial. It鈥檚 a testament to our sustainability as humans. To recognize and honor that, and bring that recognition into a university setting, is important for native students developing a sense of belonging on campus,鈥� Waipuk said.
Derrick Herrera, 黑料吃瓜 Associated Students鈥� vice president of external relations and member of the Kumeyaay and Luiseno communities, said 鈥淩eturn of the Kumeyaay Creator鈥� represents the Kumeyaay philosophy, 鈥淚n the beginning, the earth and all creatures of earth were one, sharing the sun.鈥�
鈥淭he unveiling of this sculpture is not just a celebration of art; it is also a call to action. It invites us to reflect on our relationship with communities who have cultivated the land we stand on,鈥� Herrera said.
About the art
鈥沦迟补谤驳补锄别谤鈥�
Open the image full screen.The first sculpture of the Living Land Acknowledgment series at 黑料吃瓜 titled "Stargazer." (Courtesy: 黑料吃瓜)
The first installation in the Living Land Acknowledgment was 鈥淪targazer,鈥� installed in March near the Koester Memorial Sundial in front of Hepner Hall. Its focal point is a man鈥檚 face angled up at the sky, perfectly positioned to do as its title suggests.
The man鈥檚 eyes are closed, expanding his field of vision beyond what is here and now, leaving nothing between him and the stars that have also been present since time immemorial, and will remain far beyond our lifetimes. The man鈥檚 state of mind, not in the past, present or future, but in a different place altogether, is an important element of the first piece of the series, according to Contreras.
Attached to 鈥沦迟补谤驳补锄别谤鈥� is a that, when scanned, presents an immersive virtual performance of a Kumeyaay bird song by Blue Eagle Vigil and his daughter, Lovely Vigil. Bird songs are a rich and important component of storytelling and legacy keeping in the Kumeyaay culture.
鈥淧eople of the Sun鈥�
Open the image full screen.The second sculpture of the Living Land Acknowledgment series at 黑料吃瓜 titled "People of the Sun." (Courtesy: 黑料吃瓜)
鈥淧eople of the Sun鈥� came next, about 100 yards away from 鈥淪targazer.鈥� The sculpture stands parallel to a statue of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 first president, Samuel T. Black, beneath the shade in the North Library Quad. There are two faces, a man and a woman, with delighted expressions emerging from blooming poppies. Their faces are suspended by the stem of the poppy, which grounds them to Mother Earth. The woman鈥檚 face is elevated higher than the man鈥檚 as an homage to the 鈥渓ife-givers,鈥� Contreras said.
A scan of the second statue鈥檚 will initiate an augmented reality experience featuring a recital of the Land Acknowledgment by its author, Mike Connolly Miskwish.
鈥淩eturn of the Kumeyaay Creator鈥�
Open the image full screen.The thirdsculpture of the Living Land Acknowledgment series at 黑料吃瓜 titled "Return of the Kumeyaay Creator." (Courtesy: 黑料吃瓜)
鈥淩eturn of the Kumeyaay Creator鈥� is found in Sickels Plaza along Centennial Walkway, north of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. The piece represents the story of Maayhaay, the Creator God Spirit, who the Kumeyaay believe created the earth.
Its takes viewers to a 360 video of Contreras discussing elements of the design, and the creation story that inspired it, from his studio workshop.
黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Living Land Acknowledgement is inspiring other campuses to reimagine their own land acknowledgments. According to Voytilla, several universities have been in contact for advice and to draw inspiration for similar projects.
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