Photo: Oc Gonzalez | Unsplash
In August, with the help of nonprofit fundraising and grants, 12 acres of land was bought by the K-12 Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory of North America, and returned to the Gabrielino Shoshone Tribal Nation, the indigenous people of Southern California. The only indigenous charter school in El Sereno plans to establish the Chief Ya'anna Learning Village and preserve the land, home to several species of birds, coyotes, rabbits, and the endangered black walnut trees. The school teaches indigenous students to embrace their heritage and focuses on teaching Indigenous voices and history, most of which has been left out from the origin stories of the Americas. The lessons are taught in English and Spanish, but there is an emphasis on Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs before the Spanish conquest of Mexico. The school also allows students to connect with the environment by taking classes outside. Today, the tribe has 150 to 200 members, with the school helping to keep indigenous legacy from fading away in L.A. County and state history. "People think that the land belongs to us," Jamie Rocha, a member of the tribe, said. "It's quite the opposite. We belong to the land, and we want to get back to the land."
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