“A collaboration between BOTH and Chumash relatives, this design came from a mutual understanding of place and knowledge with respect to our ancestors who came before us, our relatives that are present with us and the future generations that will come after us. Growing up in the 1980s in Los Angeles, flexing a sports team showed a sense of style and belonging. You wore either a Raiders, Dodgers, White Sox hat or something with a letter that showed what neighborhood in Los Angeles were you were from. Taking pride in my Native American/Indigenous culture, I didn’t want to rep my neighborhood, but my culture. My choices, that imagery of the former Washington Redskins or Cleveland Indians. Let’s be real, the Braves, Chiefs, didn’t have that style, the others had good colors, but those images were disrespectful. This conversation is not about those images that portrayed Natives as trash. This conversation is how we worked collaboratively to create a work of art, a work of dialogue, a work of respect, a work of honor towards the Chumash peoples, who have historically and still inhabit the areas throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. This piece brings in together imagery that respects our past and present. In brings a discussion about the sociology of Chumash peoples, a dialogue of what we’re doing presently with our culture, paddling our plank canoes (tomol), twining and coiling basket hats (‘epsu’), revitalizing our many dialects with the word “hello” (haku) imprinting on the side and encouraging others to stand up, take space and collaborate with others about the injustices happening in our greater community, such as MMIWG, Black Lives Matter, and more. Proceeds from the sales will go to Chumash relatives as they prepare for the 20th anniversary of the upcoming Tomol Crossing in 2021. The Tomol Crossing is an annual ceremony which involves Chumash peoples paddling the Tomol from the mainland to the old village site of Swaxɨl on the island of Limuw (Santa Cruz), one of the four Channel Islands.” - Marcus Lopez