We would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the original caretakers of the land on which we are gathered today. The area now known as Tustin, California, sits on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Acjachemen Nation (Juaneño Band of Mission Indians). These Indigenous peoples have stewarded the lands and waters of what is now Orange County for thousands of years, cultivating a rich cultural and spiritual relationship with this region.

We recognize and honor the Acjachemen as well as the neighboring Tongva (Gabrielino) people, who were forcibly displaced through colonization, missionization, and systemic policies of genocide, relocation, and assimilation. These injustices have had enduring impacts that are still felt by Indigenous communities today.

We express our respect and gratitude to the descendants of these Native Nations, many of whom continue to live, work, and thrive throughout Southern California. Let this acknowledgment serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to support Native sovereignty, cultural preservation, and efforts toward healing and justice.