The Buena Vista Audubon Society (BVAS) honors and respectfully acknowledges the Payómkawichum (also known as the Luiseños), who are of the land on which the BVAS Nature Center stands. The Tribal Nations of San Diego County are the Payómkawichum, the Kumeyaay, the Cupeño, and the Cahuilla.  Colonization culminated in genocide, enslavement, stolen land, unratified treaties, and forced removal of the original peoples to 18 reservations. Since colonialism continues today, we stand in alliance with these tribal communities by acknowledging their continued resistance, resilience, self-determination, and sovereignty.

We pledge to work mindfully and respectfully with our indigenous neighbors in partnership to steward lands secured by BVAS for protection and restoration.  Our action steps in support of this acknowledgement will include collaborating with local Tribal Nations in the following efforts:

• Recognizing and speaking of the tribal communities in the present and future tenses.
• Understanding historic and current uses of the land and all that exists on it.
• Facilitating participation of indigenous community members in activities to restore the land (e.g., weeding, planting).
• Incorporating indigenous names and language on signs.
• Developing a brochure that highlights animals of the lagoon through indigenous stories.
• Reviewing and adapting the Nature Guides lesson, lecture, and demonstrations about the Payómkawichum/Luiseños.

We encourage everyone to learn more about and build relationships with members of the indigenous communities on whose lands we all live.

• Payómkawichum
  • La Jolla:  https://www.lajollaindians.com/
  • Pala:  http://www.palatribe.com/visitors/history/
  • Pauma:  https://www.paumatribe.com/history/
  • Pechanga:  https://www.pechanga-nsn.gov/
  • Rincon:  https://rincon-nsn.gov/culture-history/history/
  • San Luis Rey:  https://www.slrmissionindians.org/about
  • Soboba:  https://www.soboba-nsn.gov/
• Kumeyaay: https://www.kumeyaay.com/kumeyaay-history.html
• Cupeño:  http://cupa.palatribe.com/culture/history/
• Cahuilla:  https://sctca.net/cahuilla-band-of-mission-indians/.