Indigenous California Legacy: Inter-Generational Wisdom on EcoJustice Radio

Hear Tina and Jessa Calderon, mother and daughter duo, speak on growing and thriving as Indigenous Gabrielino Tongva and Ventureño Chumash in Southern California. They share personal experiences, stories and insights regarding living as Indigenous women on their Native lands now settled by millions of people from all over the world.
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Tina and Jessa Calderon recount the trials, traumas and tribulations of reclaiming their Indigenous Tongva and Chumash languages. They also speak on the creativity, pride, and healing that ensued during their process of re-integrating into cultural life ways as empowered Native women. Carry Kim did the interview.

The San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, called “Gabrieleño (Gabrielino) Tongva” is the “Historical Traditional Tribe” within the County of Los Angeles. The Southern California Indigenous Gabrieleño Tongva occupied the entire Los Angeles Basin and the islands of the Santa Catalina, San Nicholas, San Clemente and Santa Barbara, and from the mountains to the sea. The existence of their people on these ancestral lands has been unbroken since long before the first contact between the Tongva and Europeans. The “Gabrieleño Tongva” San Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians received State of California recognition in 1994. They have remained an integral part of the Southern California community.

Gabrielino/Tongva – San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians: https://gabrielenotongva.org/

STORY: Sustaining the Legacy of the Tongva: Before and After “Los Angeles”

Jessa Calderon shares her song, ‘Scars of a Warrior’, a raw, universal reminder and personal telling of the legacy and walk of an Indigenous child come empowered woman warrior and mother. Together as mother and daughter, Tina and Jessa are now fulfilling a spiritual calling to serve the local and global community by preserving their Native legacy for the benefit, education, and inheritance of future generations.

Jessa Calderon, Singer, Song Writer, Emcee (rapper), Poet, and Author. Jessa is a natural born singer who found her voice in hip-hop. As an emcee, poet and author, Jessa shares her culture and truth. Since 2019 Jessa has joined the Dream Warriors collective with Tanaya Winder, Frank Waln, Lyla June, Tall Paul, Mic Jordan and Gunner Jules. Together they share, music, culture, stories, poems, seminars, workshops, webinars which equates to healing as a community.

Jessa’s website: https://www.jessacalderon.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jessa_songwriter1/
https://soundcloud.com/lady-sparkz
https://twitter.com/TheeLovelyJessa
https://www.youtube.com/user/KrazyLady818/videos

Tina Orduno Calderon, Gabrielino Tongva & Ventureno Chumash mother & grandmother. A singer, Song Writer & Story Teller who enjoys sharing their truths ~ Che’een’ar Tokoor ~

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tina.o.calderon

Intro by Jessica Aldridge from SoCal 350 and Adventures in Waste.
Interview by Carry Kim
Engineer: Blake Lampkin
Executive Producer: Jack Eidt
Show Created by Mark and JP Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 49

Updated 11 February 2022