Tribal leadership will join CSUSM leadership to celebrate this landmark investment while honoring graduating Native students. This momentous gift from the tribe to the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC) strengthens a vital partnership dedicated to cultivating tomorrow's leaders, advancing transformative research, honoring tribal sovereignty and cultural heritage, and creating new educational opportunities for generations to come.

The partnership between Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and CSUSM began more than a decade ago when the tribe contributed nearly $1 million to help launch the university’s CICSC. Since then, the CICSC has become a nationally recognized hub for Native student success, research and community engagement – serving as a vital resource for California tribal communities and a model for indigenous-led initiatives in higher education.

By adding to the original endowment, the newly named California Indigenous Futures Fund will continue to grow, providing long-term sustainability for the CICSC and ensuring that the center’s work serves as a lasting cornerstone for tribal sovereignty and education.

All media are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Jerry McCormick at JMcCormick@csusm.edu or 619-549-9438.

About Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation  

Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation is a federally recognized Indian tribe located on the San Manuel Indian Reservation near Highland, California. The Tribe, formerly known as the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, proudly reclaims their ancestral name – Yuhaaviatam (pronounced "Yu-HAA-vee-ah-tahm") – honoring the deep-rooted heritage and enduring legacy of their people. Exercising their inherent sovereign right to self-governance, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation is committed to providing essential services to their citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services and promoting social, economic and cultural development. As the Indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys, mountains and high deserts, the Yuhaaviatam have called this region home since time immemorial and are committed to remaining a productive partner in the San Bernardino region. For more information, visit sanmanuel-nsn.gov 

About the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC)

The California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at California State University San Marcos fosters collaborative research and community service relationships between the university's faculty, staff and students and tribal communities. The Center's mission focuses on developing and conducting research projects that support the maintenance of sovereignty and culture within those communities. Founded on principles of respect and reciprocity, the CICSC serves as a vital bridge between academia and Native American communities in the state, ensuring that Indigenous knowledge and priorities are centered in all collaborative work. The Center's distinctive programs simultaneously strengthen tribal sovereignty and drive student success by creating unique opportunities for hands-on research experience through meaningful engagement with California's tribal nations. For more information: www.csusm.edu/cicsc

The Peabody Awards recognize excellence in storytelling across television, radio and digital media, celebrating narratives that illuminate, inspire and empower audiences. Their prestigious standing within the media industry stems from their academic foundation and reputation for discerning exceptional content.

Joely Proudfit, chair of CSUSM’s American Indian studies department, was the Native production consultant for the Netflix animated series “Spirit Rangers,” which ran for 39 episodes across three seasons from 2022-24. On Thursday, “Spirit Rangers” was nominated for a Peabody Award in the category of “children’s/youth.”

“Spirit Rangers” is a fantasy-adventure preschool show that “celebrates community, nature and the rich heritage of Native American storytelling.” It was created by Karissa Valencia, a member of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and the first California Native American showrunner.

The show featured an all-Native writers’ room and Natives in every aspect of production. More than 100 Indigenous people worked on the series.

“This recognition fills me with immense pride,” Proudfit said. “The lasting cultural impact this show is creating and will continue to create for generations to come makes me forever proud.

“This nomination honors not just my work, but the entire team’s commitment to authentic Indigenous storytelling.”

Proudfit worked alongside Valencia to help guide all production elements while collaborating closely with Indigenous communities worldwide to authenticate cultural representations, art, music and language. Her meticulous oversight extended to every aspect of the series, from script dialogue to visual artistry and musical sounds.

Proudfit, who’s also the director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at CSUSM, consulted on “Spirit Rangers” through her company. Native Media Strategies provides resources that help foster more authentic representation of Native and Indigenous peoples in Hollywood.

Among other projects, Proudfit previously offered Native consulting services to “Stumptown,” an ABC crime drama that aired in 2019, and “Hostiles,” a 2017 Western film starring Academy Award-winning actor Christian Bale. She currently serves as a consulting producer for "NCIS: Origins" on CBS and also is co-directing an upcoming documentary project.

The 68 Peabody Award nominees were chosen by a unanimous vote of 27 jurors from more than 1,000 entries across television, podcasts/radio and the web in entertainment, news, documentary, arts, children’s/youth, public service and interactive/immersive programming and media.

Winners of the 85^th annual Peabody Awards will be announced on May 1, with a ceremony hosted by comedian and actor Roy Wood Jr. to be held on June 1 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles.

Established in 1940 by the National Association of Broadcasters, the Peabody Award was created to honor excellence in radio broadcasting as the industry’s equivalent to the Pulitzer Prizes. It was later expanded to include television and then to new media including podcasts and streaming.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

But before putting the finishing touches on your list of New Year’s resolutions, let’s take a look back at some of the most-talked-about stories of 2024.

CSUSM Receives Two Gifts Totaling $20 Million, Largest in 35-Year History

In a historic moment, Cal State San Marcos received two philanthropic donations totaling $20 million – the largest gifts in its 35-year history. $10 million from Price Philanthropies Foundation will create a first-of-its-kind, three-year accelerated bachelor's degree and workforce pipeline for behavioral and mental health. The other $10 million came from Daniel J. Epstein – a director of the CSUSM Foundation Board – and his wife, Phyllis. Their contribution will serve as a unique dollar-for-dollar matching gift opportunity for all CSUSM donors to double their impact across campus.

Balancing Act: Master's Grad Perseveres Through Challenges

A master’s of biological sciences student, Jocelyne Dates was selected last spring as the recipient of the 2024 President's Outstanding Graduate Award, the highest honor a graduating student can receive. She also received the Dean’s Award for Graduate Studies, which recognizes the accomplishments of one master’s student. Jocelyne is continuing her education by pursuing her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt.

'I Just Want to Make Him Proud and My Life to Count'

Last spring, at 76 years old, Kathryn Cook walked across the graduation stage as the oldest graduate of Cal State San Marcos' class of 2024. Her path to this accomplishment was not one of a traditional four-year-and-done experience. In fact, it was 50 years in the making, with monumental life transitions and rocky hardships in between. The passing of Cook’s husband in 2019 led her to continue her education at CSUSM and graduate with a sociology degree.

From the Baseball Diamond to 'The Bachelorette'

Austin Ott had never watched an episode of “The Bachelorette” when he received a DM on Instagram from the show encouraging him to apply. While nervous, his communication and media studies degree from Cal State San Marcos gave him a foundation to build on. Ott’s first speech in COMM 100 gave him an idea of what being in the public eye might look like. “My time at Cal State San Marcos was probably the best years of my life,” said Ott, who graduated in 2019. “There’s nothing better than playing the game you love and being around your best friends.”

American Indian Student Follows Passion for Animals, Environment

Aiden Valverde, an American Indian Studies major from the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, has made significant contributions through his engagement with the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center. As an intern for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Valverde was able to connect more with his culture, and his passion for animals and the environment. “Aiden exemplifies everything we strive to achieve in American Indian Studies and at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center,” said Joely Proudfit, the department chair of American Indian Studies.

Computers a Lifelong Passion for Trustees' Award Winner

In 2009, Minh Tran’s family moved to Escondido from Vietnam, the only home that he, his parents and his two older siblings had ever known. Now, the fourth-year student who’s on track to graduate in May, was honored as CSUSM’s recipient of the 2024 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, the California State University’s highest recognition of student accomplishment. Students are selected based on academic achievements, financial need, excellence in community service and personal hardship. Awardees have all demonstrated inspirational resolve along the path to college success, and many are the first in their families to attend college.

Graduate Crafting Career on Helping Children

A child and adolescent development major at Cal State San Marcos, Tania Arceo spent the last year and a half working with Voices for Children, a nonprofit organization where volunteers are trained to become court-appointed special advocates. Volunteers like Arceo represent juvenile dependency cases in San Diego County. Since graduating last spring with her bachelor’s, Arceo has started her Master of Social Work program at CSUSM this fall. 

Alumnus Seeks Better Mental Health Through Better Cuts

John Edwards was only 12 years old when he taught himself how to cut his own hair. By the time Edwards enrolled at Cal State San Marcos as a transfer student returning to higher education in 2021, he was close to completing barber school. Now a licensed barber and a recent CSUSM graduate, he operates a small studio in San Diego, rotating about 25 clients through his single chair. Edwards studied psychology at CSUSM, and it was at the university that he dreamed up the idea of melding his longtime practice of barbering with his fledgling research on mental health treatment. 
 

CSUSM Earns Prestigious Seal for Serving Latinx Students

Cal State San Marcos has earned the prestigious Seal of Excelencia, a national certification for institutions that strive to go beyond enrollment and more intentionally serve Latinx students. CSUSM is one of only 17 colleges and universities to earn the Seal of Excelencia in 2024. In 2018, Excelencia introduced the seal to certify colleges and universities for their efforts to become learning environments where Latinx, and all, students thrive. This year marks the organization’s 20th year of service to accelerate Latinx student success in higher education.

Surfer Makes School History With National Title

Tanner Vodraska, a Cal State San Marcos business student, became the first surfer in university history to win an individual national title. The junior competed in the college men’s division of the 2024 National Scholastic Surfing Association interscholastic national championships at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point. Vodraska dominated the field. He posted a two-wave score of 17.5 points in the final, far outdistancing his closest competitor. “I feel really proud of myself because I set a goal to win the national title before I graduate, and I accomplished it,” Vodraska said.

Incredible Mulk: Class Project Becomes Thriving Business

Melissa Finestone remembers the assignment in her business marketing class that started it all. Each student was required to develop a business plan based on a product they conceived. Finestone decided to curate a product that combined her passion for cooking with a childhood love of chocolate milk. But Finestone wanted to develop a healthy alternative to other chocolate milks on the market. When Finestone couldn’t find a product on the market that met her requirements, she chose to make her own. Using her Vitamix blender to grind almonds in her kitchen at home, Finestone crafted samples of chocolate- and strawberry-flavored, plant-based almond milk. She served it to each student in the class while presenting her product. The overwhelming support from her peers inspired Finestone to launch The Mulk Co. in June 2018, only one year after she graduated from Cal State San Marcos with a bachelor’s degree in global business management. 

Media Contact

Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs

ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

"I formally apologize as president of the United States of America for what we did," Biden said in strident remarks. "It's long overdue."

“The federal Indian boarding school policy, the pain it has caused, will always be a significant mark of shame, a blot on American history,” Biden said.

As both an academic leader and Payómkawichum and Tongva woman, my presence for this historic moment carried profound personal and professional significance. The presidential apology, following the U.S. Department of the Interior's comprehensive investigation and "The Road to Healing” tour, represented more than just words – it marked a crucial step toward acknowledging the intergenerational trauma that continues to impact Native communities.

"For too long, this nation sought to silence the voices of generations of Native children, but now your voices are being heard," Biden declared during the ceremony.

I’m the director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center, and these words resonated deeply with our ongoing mission to preserve and advance Native American culture, history and sovereignty.

One of the most meaningful aspects of the day was sitting alongside members of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, especially with a particular board member: Pauma-Yuima band of Luiseño Indians matriarch Juana Majel-Dixon, a longtime mentor and powerful force for Native American rights. Our connection spans years of advocacy work, including a memorable moment when, as she reminded me during the event, we participated in a crucial Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) call with then-Sen. Biden. Juana's tireless work led to President Barack Obama giving her one of the pens used to sign the VAWA reauthorization – a pen that now holds a place of honor in our California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center, serving as a daily reminder to our students about the power of activism and engagement.

While we appreciate President Biden's apology, there is so much more that must be done. We hope Biden will follow up by effectuating meaningful and appropriate action throughout his administration. Even as Native people receive this first-time official apology from the commander in chief, the U.S. Army continues to refuse to fulfill repatriation requests, pursuant to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, to return the remains of the children who died at one of the first and most notorious federal Indian boarding schools, the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

The federal government must take concrete steps beyond apologies. A critical priority must be implementing fully funded, as I coined, "Language of the Land" initiatives requiring all schools to teach the Indigenous languages of their regions. This would include restoring original place names across the landscape – from mountains and rivers to cities and streets – returning them to their Indigenous names in Native languages. Such restoration of language and place names is not merely symbolic but represents a fundamental act of cultural justice and healing, returning what was systematically erased through colonization.

Additionally, the government must fully fund tribal health care and education systems, protect tribal sovereignty and self-determination, strengthen tribal jurisdiction, honor all treaty obligations, protect sacred sites and cultural resources, ensure meaningful tribal consultation on federal projects affecting tribal lands and resources, address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, and provide comprehensive resources for cultural revitalization programs.

We hope President Biden's apology provides leadership for federal officials and personnel to foster cooperation between the U.S. and tribal nations so that Native communities may continue to heal.

It was heartening to see and share this day with so many friends and colleagues, and it was particularly moving to reconnect with individuals like Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, whose documentary “Sugarcane” powerfully captures the boarding school experience. I plan to bring this film to campus for a special screening and discussion. Their work ensures that these stories will continue to educate future generations.

As an educator and advocate for Native American rights, I recognize that while this apology is historic, it's just the beginning. When Gila River Governor Stephen Lewis and the people of Gila River opened their homelands for this historic event, they created a space not just for an apology, but for a new chapter in Native American history. At the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center and within our American Indian studies program, we remain committed to supporting the healing process, preserving Indigenous knowledge and empowering the next generation of Native leaders.

Indeed, it was a good day to be Indigenous. But more importantly, it marked the beginning of the real work – transforming this historic apology into meaningful action and lasting change for our communities. As I return to campus, I carry with me a renewed commitment to our mission and the knowledge that through our continued efforts, we will ensure that this moment becomes a catalyst for the healing and empowerment of Native peoples. While we have much work ahead, we are moving in the right direction.

Proudfit is the chair of CSUSM’s American Indian studies department and director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center on campus.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

CSUSM invites the campus community to honor Native American Heritage Month through the following events. 

Tukwut Coloring Contest 

Nov. 1-30

Pick up a coloring page at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center, located in Social and Behavioral Sciences Building 1118. Coloring is from Nov. 1-15, with pages to be dropped off at the center. From Nov. 16-30, people can vote for their favorites on the Instagram page of the American Indian Student Alliance (@csusm_aisa). A winner will be announced on Nov. 30 and given a prize. 

Exhibit Reception at the Sasse Museum of Art

Saturday, Nov. 2, 1-3 p.m., Sasse Museum 

Join us for the gallery viewing of featured artists Dr. Eric Tippeconnic, Monica Zavala and Lanise Luna. 

Rep Your Tribe Spirit Day 

Monday, Nov. 4

Come dressed in your tribal gear to show representation of what tribe you are from.

Honoring Native American Veterans Social 

Tuesday, Nov. 5, noon-1 p.m., Veterans Center

Join us as we honor Native veterans. 

Beading Workshop

Wednesday, Nov. 6, noon-1 p.m., CICSC (SBSB 1118)

Learn how to create beadwork with the help of an instructor. Supplies are included.

Traditional Bow Making Workshop

Thursday, Nov. 7, noon-5 p.m., CICSC (SBSB courtyard)

Come learn how to create a traditional bow with Dr. Stan Rodriguez. Instruction will take place from noon-1 p.m., and the workshop area will be open from noon-5 p.m.

Rock Your Mocs Week

Nov. 10-16

Take advantage of a positive opportunity to be united and celebrate tribal individuality by wearing moccasins. We honor our ancestors and Indigenous peoples worldwide during Rock Your Mocs events.

Native Fashion Day

Tuesday, Nov. 12

Rock all your beadwork, including medallions, earrings and lanyards. Accessorize your wardrobe with your favorite ribbon dress or ribbon skirt.

‘Reservation Dogs’ Marathon

Wednesday, Nov. 13, CICSC (SBSB 1118)

Join us to enjoy a full day of watching the acclaimed TV show “Reservation Dogs.” Snacks will be provided.

Outdoor Native Movie Night

Thursday, Nov. 15, 6-8 p.m., Serenity Circle

Bring your chairs and blankets and enjoy some snacks.

Storytelling Under the Stars With Dr. Stan Rodriguez

Thursday, Nov. 14, 6-8 p.m., Serenity Circle

Bring your chairs and blankets and join us for our annual storytelling event. We will provide hot drinks and treats.

Read a Native American Children's Book Day

Monday, Nov. 18

Decolonize and indigenize your reading. For a full book list, visit caindianeducationforall.com.

AISA Gathering and Bird Social

Thursday, Nov. 21, 5-8 p.m. 

Come join us for an evening of bird dancing and singing.

College Motivation Day

Friday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., USU Ballroom

Join us for college readiness workshops, a campus tour, raffles and more.

‘Dark Winds’ Marathon 

Wednesday, Nov. 27, CICSC (SBSB 1118)

Join us to enjoy a full day of watching the TV show “Dark Winds.” Snacks will be provided.

Media Contact

Jerry McCormick, Director of Strategic Communications

jmccormick@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-4010

Now commonly referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, the celebration has origins that date back more than 100 years. By 1990, President George H.W. Bush officially designated November as Native American Heritage Month. 

For CSUSM, the month holds special significance. 

The university has long-standing partnerships with local tribal communities and continues to lead the way in advocacy and educational equity efforts. CSUSM has the largest per capita number of American Indian students in the 23-campus CSU system, and is the only one to experience consistent growth. CSUSM was the first to establish a Native Advisory Council, the first to hire a full-time tribal liaison, the first to create a guaranteed admission pathway for American Indian students, and in 2009 established the first-of-its-kind California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center (CICSC), which is focused on collaborative research and cultural preservation.  

In 2019, the CICSC and American Indian studies department, in partnership with Palomar College and the Southern California Tribal Chairman's Association, established a comprehensive Land Acknowledgement toolkit to encourage academic communities to recognize the original nations on whose land we live, learn and work. 

CSUSM invites the campus community to honor Native American Heritage Month through the following events. 

Tukwut Coloring Contest  

Nov. 1-30 

Pick up a coloring page at any of the student life centers in the USU. Coloring will take place from Nov. 1-15, with pages being dropped off at the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center. From Nov. 16-30, people can vote for their favorites on the Instagram page of the American Indian Student Alliance. The winner, announced by Dec. 1, will receive a CSUSM pin that has been beaded by an AISA student.  

Community Beading Workshop 

Nov. 8, noon, USU Plaza 

Join us as we guide you through a beaded tutorial project step by step. 

Rock Your Mocs 

Nov. 13-19 

During Spirit Week, we’re offering a positive opportunity to be united and celebrate tribal individuality and diversity by wearing moccasins. 

Storytelling with Dr. Stan Rodriguez, American Indian Studies Lecturer

Nov. 15, 6 p.m., Serenity Circle (outside of SBSB) 

Bring your lawn chair and blanket and enjoy traditional Kumeyaay stories.

‘Blood Quantum’ Movie Night 

Nov. 18, 5 p.m., USU Ballroom 

We will be screening “Blood Quantum,” a 2019 Canadian film about a zombie uprising on a First Nations reserve whose residents are immune to contracting the plague because of their indigenous heritage. The movie was written and directed by the late Jeff Barnaby. Snacks will be provided. 

Native Dance Exhibition 

Nov. 29, noon, Kellogg Plaza 

Meet us outside Kellogg Library where hoop dancers are invited to perform during U-hour.  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Proudfit is the Native production consultant for “Spirit Rangers,” which will premiere on the streaming service on Monday, Indigenous Peoples Day.

“Spirit Rangers” is a fantasy-adventure preschool series that “celebrates community, nature and the rich heritage of Native American storytelling.” It was created by Karissa Valencia, a member of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and the first California Native American showrunner.

The show features an all-Native writers’ room and Natives in every aspect of production. More than 100 Indigenous people worked on the series.

Proudfit, who’s also the director of the California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center at CSUSM, consulted on “Spirit Rangers” through her company. Native Media Strategies provides resources that help foster more authentic representation of Native and Indigenous peoples in Hollywood.

Among other projects, Proudfit previously offered Native consulting services to “Stumptown,” an ABC crime drama that aired in 2019, and “Hostiles,” a 2017 Western film starring Academy Award-winning actor Christian Bale.

“My education has afforded me the opportunity to create and produce amazing content, and I hope our students are inspired to earn their degrees and follow their dreams,” Proudfit said.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist
bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

The practice is especially important in a state like California – which is home to 110 federally recognized tribes, the most of any state – and at a university like Cal State San Marcos, which is located on the traditional territory of the Luiseňo/Payómkawichum people.  

Not long after Eric Tippeconnic was hired as a tenure-track professor in the American Indian studies department in summer 2020, he was approached by Toni Olivas, CSUSM’s engagement and inclusion librarian, who’s in charge of the library’s Context Exhibit Series. Olivas knew that Tippeconnic, besides being an expert in Native history, was a painter of national renown.   

Encouraged by Olivas, Tippeconnic came up with the idea of an art exhibit that would serve as a visual land acknowledgment.  

“Land acknowledgements are vital,” said Tippeconnic, an enrolled member of the Comanche nation. “Native history largely has been erased, so the land acknowledgement is one way for us as a society to recognize the peoples who have belonged to this land since time immemorial. It’s a way to pause and reflect on whose land we are walking on and provide them with the proper respect.

“You can do the same thing visually: ‘We’ve said the words, we’ve acknowledged it, now let’s celebrate the resiliency of this land's original inhabitants through imagery.' "

That was the inspiration for the art that’s now on display on the third floor of the CSUSM library as part of the spring Context Exhibit Series. The collection, titled “Our Existence Is Our Resistance” (which borrows from the motto of CSUSM’s American Indian studies department), contains 12 acrylic paintings on canvas by Tippeconnic that tell a story of resiliency and pride in multi-layered Native American cultures that are deeply rooted in honor and tradition. The title, Tippeconnic says, is an allusion to federal and state policies that decimated the numbers of Native peoples in the 19^th century. By some estimates, between 1849 and 1900, the Native population in California declined from about a million to only 17,000. 

“The very fact that these people are still here and still celebrating their culture and passing on their traditions through their song and dance is a testament to their resilience,” Tippeconnic said.  

The exhibit is both in person and virtual, and will remain on display through July 31. The library will host an event to celebrate the artwork on May 4 at 6 p.m. in the Kellogg Reading Room (it also will be streamed live). Tippeconnic will speak at the event along with President Ellen Neufeldt and Joely Proudfit, chair of American Indian studies. 

“Our department is so fortunate to have Eric’s work featured so prominently for the entire campus to share in the vibrant, contemporary depiction of living cultures of Southern California Indian people, bringing our department motto to life,” Proudfit said.   

Tippeconnic created nine of the 12 paintings for this exhibit specifically. Almost all of them feature Native people either bird dancing or bird singing, which are traditional rituals performed by tribe members in the state.  

Two of the subjects in the artwork are current or former CSUSM students. “California Girls” is a tribute to alumna Mejaumi Rosales, who’s depicted dancing with her two sisters. Tippeconnic remembers meeting Rosales during his first day on campus as a lecturer several years ago. Tippeconnic was lost, both in terms of where to go on campus and how to use the classroom technology, and Rosales helped him on both fronts, in the process displaying a level of kindness and collegiality that stuck with Tippeconnic. 

“Over the years, we’ve developed a really good relationship, and since she has graduated, I’ve been able to watch her and her young family grow,” he said of Rosales, a member of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. “To me, they're the ideal young Native family. Mejaumi is not only leading by example by procuring a college education that will benefit her Native community, but she has introduced her children to the dance arena."

Two of the paintings, “California Soul” and “California Sun,” portray Kiara Love Flores, an American Indian studies major who’s active in the American Indian Student Alliance (AISA) at CSUSM. Tippeconnic said Flores is representative of many students in the department in that she’s Native not just by blood but by behavior – by actively participating in her culture and passing traditions on to her younger siblings.  

Flores also assisted Tippeconnic by posing in her tribal regalia for photos taken on campus by Ilianna Ramirez, the AISA president, and then sending them to him for inspiration with the paintings. 

“The whole exhibit is collaborative,” Tippeconnic said. “I might be the artist, but it wouldn’t be possible without all of these other people.” 

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

That emphasis might have been surprising to progressives across the country who perhaps didn’t think that a political centrist like Biden was up to the challenge of advancing bold climate policy. 

But it mostly was music to the ears of Dina Gilio-Whitaker, a fourth-year American Indian studies lecturer at Cal State San Marcos who’s also a published author and a nationally renowned expert on environmental justice. Gilio-Whitaker, in fact, owns a consulting business that specializes in environmental justice policy planning. 

Both in her writing and her advocacy, however, Gilio-Whitaker broadens the traditional meaning of environmental justice to focus on the unique needs of her people. She descends from the Colville Confederated Tribes in Washington state and regularly is invited to speak to audiences nationwide about topics related to American Indians.  

Question: Can you start by defining environmental justice for people who may not have a good grasp of the term? 

Dina Gilio-Whitaker: Environmental justice refers to the ways that communities of color are disproportionately impacted by environmental processes that expose them to risk and harm. We don't have the language for this until the early 1980s, and it comes as a result of activism that's happening in the Deep South, in Black communities in North Carolina. They're fighting against the siting of a toxic waste dump, which leads to studies that argue for this new kind of racism called environmental racism. Even earlier, we see some of these harms and risks in farmworker communities in California. César Chávez comes to mind, how he led the fight for farmworkers’ rights as a result, initially, of the exposures to pesticides in farm practices. That’s another early articulation of ethnic minority communities being disproportionately harmed. The water crisis in Flint, Mich., is a prominent recent example because it largely affected Black communities. 

Q: In your 2019 book, “As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice from Colonization to Standing Rock,” you argue that the traditional understanding of environmental justice is insufficient for American Indian communities. Can you expound on that? 

DGW: In this case, environmental injustice is a direct result of a centuries-long forced dispossession of Native people from their land. Their whole lives are structured around particular ecosystems, so the forced displacement from those ecosystems results in genocidal processes. Pushing people off their lands is a process, I argue, of environmental injustice toward Native people. And there are all kinds of other ways that we can measure these injustices. For Native people, as people with political relationships to the state, this framework of environmental racism is very inadequate to describe these ongoing processes of injustice. In the realms of policy and law, there's no accommodation for this. So my argument is that it needs to be indigenized; it needs to be expanded to understand the colonial history and structure of the U.S. in order to understand what injustice is environmentally for Native nations. 

Q: How do you feel about environmental justice being a major prong of Biden’s climate plan? 

DGW: It makes me optimistic, or I would say cautiously optimistic. We heard in the Obama administration some commitments to environmental justice, though not as much. I think the climate crisis is really more ramped up now, especially after four years of Trump and the extensive rolling back of environmental rules and regulations, and downplaying of climate change. There were over 100 rules and laws that the previous administration pretty much eviscerated in four years. Now there's a much more renewed and robust commitment to environmental justice with the Biden administration. I think it's because of the backsliding of the last four years. 

Q: Is this something you could have imagined from a political moderate like Biden? 

DGW: It actually seems inevitable to me given the state of affairs of the world and the fact that we are in what experts agree is a sixth mass extinction event. We know ecosystems are collapsing. We know that climate change is happening. We see it, we are living with it daily now. So it doesn't surprise me, and I'm happy that there is this very visible, very explicit commitment to environmental justice. I think they're taking it seriously.  

Q: What is another example, other than the climate plan, of where you’re seeing that commitment? 

DGW: I sat in on a webinar a couple of weeks ago that was put together by the Biden-Harris transition team. It was an informational webinar that they directed to people with environmental justice expertise to apply for jobs everywhere in the federal government. They talked about this thing called the Plum Book, which I had never heard of. It’s a directory, like 237 pages long, of all the jobs in the federal government, all three branches. They encouraged us to study the book and find out where we think our skills as an environmental justice activist or leader would best be put to use. So it's a very broad-based approach where they're seeming to want to infuse all aspects of government with environmental justice expertise. It's pretty interesting.  

Q: Were you tempted at all? Have you perused the Plum Book? 

DGW: I was tempted, but I'm so busy. I don't want to go to work for the federal government. I don't want to move to Washington, D.C. I would love to be an adviser to people in high-level positions. Assuming Deb Haaland gets confirmed as Secretary of the Interior, I could see ideally being consulted at that level or some other level, maybe in the EPA. But to be a 9-to-5 employee of the federal government, no. I'm able to have more impact doing what I do as a teacher and in my consulting work.  

Q: I'm glad you brought up Haaland, who would become the first American Indian to hold a cabinet position. How encouraging is that for Native communities? 

DGW: A Native person, let alone a Native woman, being appointed to a cabinet-level position is real progress. And I think her politics are in the right place. My concern, though, is that the structure is the structure. It's just a revolving door of people and personalities who fill those positions, and they’re based on a very particular structure that is fundamentally colonial, built on logics of dispossession and injustice toward Native peoples, and it's upheld by the scaffolding of federal Indian law that is really problematic for Native people. It's not a system that is designed to deliver justice. There are massive forces that are in conflict with tribal interests. So it will be really tricky for her to get some serious work done amid all of that. I'm skeptical about what actually will be accomplished. 

Q: Getting back to the Biden climate plan, have you had a chance to delve into it? What do you think about the meat of the plan from an environmental justice framework? 

DGW: I haven't really looked at it. From what I’ve read, people are saying it's basically the Green New Deal without the title, and I do know about that. I wrote an article in 2019 for High Country News about the Green New Deal and how it, along with environmental justice, needs to be indigenized, or adapted to be responsive to Indian country. One of the things that worries me is that things won’t fundamentally change under Biden compared to the Obama administration. For Native people, that's a problem because it was under the Obama administration that we got energy independence through fracking processes in the Bakken oil fields. That has led to massive problems for Indian country; that's what gave us the Standing Rock conflict. We continue to have Native peoples fighting oil pipeline projects. What concerns me is the continuing reliance on fossil fuels as part of an everything-on-the-table approach to energy. 

Q: What would you say are the biggest ways that Native populations are endangered by climate change?  

DGW: It varies from region to region because of the different ways that climate change impacts different ecosystems. What endangers one community won't be the same for other communities. For example, one of the big threats of climate change for peoples in the Pacific Northwest, like in the Columbia River watershed, is the warming water temperatures, which endanger salmon species. Salmon species are already collapsing because of the proliferation of dams over the last 80-100 years, which block salmon from migrating to the places that they used to migrate to. And now with climate change, it leads to warmer temperatures in the water, which further endangers those salmon species.  

I come from a tribe that is salmon dependent. Salmon was for our people what the buffalo are to the Plains people; it's the center of our cultures. But after the building of the Grand Coulee Dam in 1942, the Colville reservation has not seen salmon in the upper reaches of the Columbia since then, because of the flooding of a major salmon fishery that we relied on for thousands of years. So not only is it a culturally genocidal impact, it also led to the inability for us to access a traditional food. There are dozens of other traditional foods that, due to development, have been diminished. And that has led to the kinds of health impacts that Native people experience as a result of these colonial processes. All these things are intertwined.  

Q: If you were Joe Biden for a day, what would be the most important step you could take to address environmental justice issues for American Indians? 

DGW: I would pass an executive order with a commitment to free, prior and informed consent. FPIC comes out of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and it's a commitment for governments to not just consult with tribes on development projects that involve their lands, but to obtain consent for those kinds of projects. Consultation doesn't mean the same thing as consent. Those are massive differences when it comes to these kinds of development projects. 

The United States was the last nation in the world to affirm the declaration, three years after it was passed in the UN General Assembly in 2007. When Obama finally signed the U.S. on as a signatory, he did so with a 15-page declaration full of disclaimers, basically rationalizing how U.S. federal law is already the framework through which all of this stuff will happen. Ultimately, federal law is the problem. It's the structure that maintains this relationship of injustice between tribes and the federal government. Native people are just saying, “Look, you agreed to support free, prior and informed consent, but you're not doing it.” More and more, they’re holding the government's feet to the fire on this concept. And if they actually are able to enshrine consent over consultation in federal law, it'll be a major step forward.  

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306

Tippeconnic was born in Nome, Alaska. He spent his formative years on the Hoopa reservation in Northern California. His family then moved to Arizona, where they lived on the San Carlos Apache reservation. He attended high school in New Mexico and later lived near the Cochiti tribe.  

And though he never has resided in Oklahoma, he’s an enrolled member of that state’s Comanche Nation and has dozens of family members who live there. 

If there’s anyone who’s intimately familiar with and can testify to the rich tapestry of American Indian life in the United States, it’s Tippeconnic. 

“All you have to do is travel Native America to see the diversity,” Tippeconnic said. “We’re not all cookie-cutter. We are all distinct people with our own goals. I think highlighting the diversity of Native America really is effective when we’re trying to open up our students’ eyes.” 

It’s that lived experience and perspective that Tippeconnic brought to Cal State San Marcos in the past two years as a lecturer in the American Indian Studies (AIS) department. Now he’s doing the same thing at a more engaged level.  

After being hired over the summer, Tippeconnic is in his first year as a full-time, tenure-track professor in AIS. He’s only the second such professor in the department, joining Joely Proudfit, who came to the CSUSM faculty in 2008 and worked almost as long to bring the department into existence (the major was launched three years ago).  

Besides being a scholar, Tippeconnic is also an artist of wide renown in the American Indian community. During his time as a lecturer at CSUSM, he taught a course in American Indian art, as well as others in Native film, television and media, and contemporary Native communities, with a focus on Southern California tribes.  

It’s that kind of concentration on American Indian issues that Tippeconnic sought when he wrote his doctoral dissertation at the University of New Mexico on the history of the Comanche from 1852 to 1987 – and that he had been unable to find in academia until he arrived at CSUSM. For the past eight years, he had been a history lecturer at Cal State Fullerton, teaching general U.S., European and world history. 

“This is what I’ve been looking for,” Tippeconnic said. “The moment I came down to teach at Cal State San Marcos, I immediately fell in love with it because I was able to teach classes pertaining to my field. This is a godsend. I’m just so thankful and happy about the opportunity.” 

For Proudfit, the feeling is mutual. She met Tippeconnic several years ago at the Santa Fe Indian Market, an annual summer festival that witnesses hundreds of thousands of people descend on the New Mexico capital. Tippeconnic was there selling his paintings, and Proudfit already knew of his reputation as an artist. What she learned in their conversation was that he’s also a historian who holds a Ph.D. 

Tippeconnic, in fact, is the first Comanche ever to receive a doctorate in the field of history, and Proudfit’s department is now the beneficiary of that accumulated knowledge.  

“He is well-respected across Indian country and eager to engage fully with our students as a teacher and mentor,” Proudfit said. “In my 25 years as an AIS professor, this is the first chance I have had to hire a tenure-track faculty member. And doing so during a pandemic was nothing short of a miracle. Native representation on our campus is critical, and I know Eric will be of service and inspiration to others.” 

Tippeconnic has a fascinating backstory even beyond his family’s nomadic lifestyle. His great-grandfather fought against the U.S. Army in the Red River War, an 1874 military campaign launched to displace the Comanche and other tribes from the Great Plains and forcibly relocate them to reservations in Indian Territory. His grandfather, in the 1920s, became the first Comanche to earn a bachelor’s degree, and then he went on to earn a master’s as well – at a time when most Americans, let alone American Indians, didn’t even complete high school.  

“What he did was truly remarkable,” Tippeconnic said. “He set the standard, and several of his children went on to procure doctorates, so they took it even further. I’m the third generation, but I can confidently say that I wouldn’t be in the position that I’m in if it weren’t for the steps that my grandfather took.”  

Tippeconnic’s father, before working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, served in the U.S. Navy and met his future wife while on shore leave in Copenhagen after the Korean War. That makes Tippeconnic half-Native, half-Danish, and he alternated his childhood summers between Oklahoma and Denmark, seeing as much of Europe as he did of Indian country.

And before becoming an artist and historian, Tippeconnic was a football star. He played linebacker at Colorado State University and, as a senior, recorded 192 tackles, second all-time at the school. In 1992, he was named to the all-century team as one of the best players in the first 100 years of Colorado State football.

“It was a magical time, an incredible experience,” he said of his football days. “But that was a long time ago. My kids just laugh at me now.”

Tippeconnic, who lives on the border of Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga, has four children who are in seventh through 10th grades. He has a home studio where he paints almost every day of the week, but he plans to move it to the garage so he can enjoy more space and “get out of my wife’s kitchen area.”

He started creating art as a boy. He would attend Indian dances, ceremonies and celebrations, and try to reimagine them using markers on paper. He says he still has thousands of the drawings stored in boxes at his house. Gradually, he evolved from markers to paints and began selling art once he reached his 20s.

These days, Tippeconnic mostly uses canvas as his medium, but his profile has risen to the point that he’s often hired to paint giant murals on the sides of buildings. This summer, he did two of them – one in Medicine Lodge, Kan., the site of an infamous 1867 treaty between five Indian tribes and the U.S. government that led to forced relocation, and the other in Colony, Okla.

“We’re trying to reinforce to communities all around the country that really everywhere you step in this land, you’re on some ancestral homelands of the Native peoples,” Tippeconnic said. “This is my way of doing that, and the people there seem to be very receptive.”

Now, CSUSM students are Tippeconnic’s receptive audience, and he’s giddy about it.

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” he said.

Media Contact

Brian Hiro, Communications Specialist

bhiro@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7306