When creating this business, owner Annette Ayala had 5 objectives in mind:

 

⁃ Bringing the youth to the culture by involving them -

“My journey started later in life as a result of having nothing to do. I didn’t have time for my culture until I had nothing else. I wanted to create an opportunity for the youth to build a life around their culture instead of making time for it as an adult. I recognize a lot of why most of us don’t know about our culture is because of exposure much later in life."

 

⁃ Culture Revitalization by exposure -

“I knew for myself what happened when I went on these sites. I had opportunities to work side by side with people who had studied our culture, the area and the resources. They shared their knowledge with me. Not only did it interest me, it excited me! I became hungry for the knowledge. I literally feel smarter as a result of this work. I recognize the empowerment that comes with learning who you are and who your people were.”

 ⁃ Bringing our people to the culture by connecting them directly to our ancestors -

“I feel it’s an honor to protect these sites, our ancestors, and their belongings. We have the opportunity to advocate for them and for our home. We are pro protection. We know development is going to happen. When we are placed in these positions, on these sites, we have the opportunity to know our ancestors and be their voices.”

 

⁃ Creating employment opportunities for members of the tribal community in an effort to help with tribal presence -

“With all of the gentrification happening, very few of us can afford to live in our ancestral homelands. These jobs provide opportunities for our people to either stay here or move back here. Much of the reason behind the lack of knowledge about our people is due to the lack of representation in our homelands. These jobs may not be the answer, but they are a start. They put our people in spaces with the developers. We get a voice!”

⁃ Community Building -

“Community is everyone! There has been so much focus on division and separation. Cultural revitalization is going to take everyone’s efforts! Sharing culture with each other is at the core of community building. Engaging with the community is how we learn about each other and grow. Inclusiveness is the answer! We all have a place in this.”