Upon arriving into the Wishtoyo Chumash Village, I immediately feel welcomed by their whole family. Singing and dancing as we walked up to them, waiting for the song to end, anxious to say hello and hug everyone. We had no idea what was waiting to come the next few days. Mati and Luhui were amazing hosts, they could not have made our short visit any better. I was able to experience my first sweat along side with all the males in the program. It was a new experience being able to cleanse everything my body has been through. Throughout our trip, I was given chances to practice spear throwing using a traditional atl atl. Learning the techniques of moving your arm in a smooth motion, not to rough to break the spear. We were given the chance to go to the beach to document the sea level rise. This was important to me because I understand the lack of awareness relating to climate changes and other problems our ocean is facing. This gave me a clearer explanation of what is going on and I am am able to express myself in new ways and spread awareness to my friends and new people who I am yet to encounter.
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