Partnerships & Pathways: Tona Miranda on Native Histories & “Making Space” for Intergenerational Healing
“I’m so big on prevention and cultures healing because a lot of our youth have forgotten where we come from and they are searching for something else. But that something else already lies within us.”
—Tona Miranda
The Indigenous history of California runs deep, but its colonial history often gets overlooked in contemporary understandings of state formation. In 1769 the Spanish Mission system was established to convert Indigenous peoples to Catholicism. Yoeme, Blackfeet, Otomi, and Chichimeca Organizer Tona Miranda shared that the approach of “kill the Indian and save the man” led to the genocide of California Native peoples by the Spanish settlers. Then came the Mexican period (1821-mid 1848), followed by the movement of European settlers moving westward from the East Coast to the Pacific.
In 1848, almost overnight, the California Gold Rush legalized the continued ecological and cultural erasure of Native Americans, as profit overruled any suffering. Colonizers aimed to erase Indigenous knowledges, but the desire to reconnect to those histories has not been lost. In an effort to preserve their culture for future generations, some California Natives are working intentionally at lifting up Indigenous perspectives. Offering others partnerships and pathways to validating their cultures and who they are as people creates community and makes space for beginning intergenerational healing.
On March 5th, 2023, Roots & Routes’ Youth Visionary Collective (YVC) had the honor of meeting with Tona Miranda, who is committed to greater engagement of Native communities in state-level opportunities and decision-making. Tona shared how experiencing trauma does not mean all is over and lost, rather there's always more to learn and fight for when people acknowledge, show up, do collective work, and empower others. Her work particularly focuses on connecting Indigenous nations to philanthropic partnerships. Doing so can inspire and unite Indigenous youth with elders for mentorship and guidance.
Tona talked to the YVC about the Civil Rights Movement as then, a wave of powerful energy, and now, nourishing the work she does. She also, however, made clear that the injustices from which the Civil Rights Movement was born are still very real, and described why it is important to be conscientious that trauma from these past events affects people still today. As we uncover and learn the truth and feel the pain about the past, there’s also opportunities for healing, and hope:
“All throughout the nation, all throughout these Indigenous communities, in those times, this happened to everyone. It was those times, after uprisings and takeovers, that sparked other things. ”
From a young age, Tona has deeply loved her community. Sensing the urgency in learning the knowledges they possess before they are gone, she feels especially drawn to the wisdom that elders have shared with her. Through appreciating the strength of previous members in your community that have paved a path for you now, or learning about themes of belonging and identity in your community can provide purpose and support. She feels that such wisdom is important to hold onto to protect the history of her community and sacred knowledge of the land.
Tona’s respect for her own identity and peoples has been shaped by her parents’ involvement in the American Indian Movement and the Chicana Movement. She saw how Indigenous communities have experienced multiple generations of trauma and loss that left behind a fragmented sense of community and power. Seeing how supportive her parents were of rebuilding the Indigenous community, and how much pride they had of their community’s strength, set an example for Tona that sparked her present commitment to her community.
Tona has witnessed the youth in her community needlessly losing themselves to things like violence, gangs, drugs, and alcohol with many community members becoming incarcerated. Without direction, too many youth have fallen victim to the prison pipeline. Unfortunately, this pattern is repeating itself. As younger generations watch community members be incarcerated, this outcome becomes more normalized and makes younger generations more likely to follow the same path.
“The prison pipeline has been very big and something that has taken away a lot of community, a lot of good youth from communities. This pathway that they have created for our youth in juvenile halls leads them into prisons. It goes very deep.”
Growing up in a state and society that has been historically unwelcoming to Indigenous peoples can be very hard on Indigenous youth. This type of social isolation can lead to community fragmentation. Ultimately youth are left feeling unsure of what their purpose is and what their future holds.
So what can be done? Just as the strength of her parents’ faith in her community’s potential, Tona has become the same spark to light up the world for these youth. As Tona has moved through life gathering deeper understanding about these complex issues, her goal has been to increasingly help youth to do the same.
Tona strives to educate and uplift younger generations who are searching for their own purpose and connection to one another. Reclaiming one’s roots and routes of identity can also help youth to revitalize particular values cherished by their people, and therefore, feel valued themselves. Her work brings to light the irreplaceable role they play in their community. Not only does this help restore pride and commitment to their cultural and collective resilience, but it also helps them see that the community they felt they had lost has been with them the whole time.
In this way, Tona has played a massive role in being the reassuring voice leading these youth forward and healing the wounds that have made their path unstable. She inspires them in the same way a loving parent would: urging them onwards and reminding them of where they come from when they lose sight of the path they have journeyed through. What the elders have taught—history, value, strength, community, wisdom—all ties together and become the threads that weave their path into tomorrow.
During the YVC’s time with Tona, she underscored how important it is to look at how current realities have developed over time. Her work with the Native American Resource Center greatly influenced this approach to life. In the United States, the Native American Graves Protection And Repatriation Act (NAGPRA laws) have been set up so that Universities have to repatriate Tribal communities—giving back what is theirs. Since the discovery at the American River College, Tona has become a NAGPRA specialist in Tribal relations, and is very committed to this work and helping the cause.
Tona also spoke about her work with making life better for Native peoples in California today, through collaborating with local organizations. Although recreational use of cannabis is legal in California, many people do not know how the illegal and legal cannabis industry has negatively affected Indigenous and Tribal communities. Growing marijuana on Tribal land in rural areas has brought concerns about public health, welfare, and safety due to organized crime targeting Indigenous communities. Whilst the impacts of the illegal industry versus the legal one look different, there is a need for change within these Tribal communities, which requires more funding to happen.
Consumption of cannabis is legal, but growth and distribution are not in many counties across the state. Indigenous communities in the United States, under federal law, hold authority over their land, but battles with state and local governments over Tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction over lands and commercial activity have left grey areas, and thus, vulnerability. With the legalization of recreational and medicinal cannabis, we see the growth of the illegal and legal cannabis cultivation moving its way onto Tribal land.
Because of the cannabis industry’s presence on Indigenous land, concerns have arisen around the protection of minors, environmental resource preservation, and prevention of illegal activity in regards to which bodies of legislation are responsible for that protection. California state and local governments need to mutually work with and respect Tribal nations.
Additionally, Tona mentioned the impact of the cannabis industry on California’s water supply. Not only are generational water sources being rapidly consumed, but harmful runoff from chemical treatments on the plants seeps into the water supply, making it unsafe to drink. Some community members told Tona that the water in their community should have lasted for 12 generations, even without any rain refilling it.
“They had 12 generations of water underneath them. That water is almost gone.”
Tona explained one path to help remediate this issue is with more funding. For example, a newly created law was made so that a portion of revenue from cannabis sales are taxed, and the income generated goes to prevention and restoration work. The aim is to get departments and state agencies on board to partner with local Indigenous communities, which the cultivation and selling of cannabis are negatively affecting.
Funding can also help expand education to help build support for Indigenous youth that are struggling with intergenerational trauma, substance abuse, and incarceration. Tona explained that funding for programs that educate, prevent, and heal is needed. Financial resources help build spaces to connect with Tribal youth by sharing history and culture. This helps reestablish a connection to their Indigenous identities and reduces the likelihood of them turning to violence, gangs, and drugs.
What can be done to spread the word? Tona’s reply was allyship and staying informed. “There are spaces where resources can be provided, you can give, you can spread the word. I think that’s super important for us right now—to not stay silent regarding this stuff.” Collective work helps address what is happening and it is important that we show up for one another.
Tona spoke about mindful and willful partnership, meaning that people come in on their own capacity, go at their own pace, and the partnership evolves from that. “We can’t make people do things they don’t want to do. And I would much rather it come from the heart, because that’s when you know that this is going to be a real ally, a real partner.” Making space for partnerships, and knowing others’ capacity to do so, creates opportunities to work collectively and benefit from each other’s individual strengths.
We are grateful to have learned from Tona the importance of learning about and teaching the diverse cultural histories and present-day realities of where we live. Through uncovering the truths that lie just below the surface of what we think of as everyday understandings we can progress toward more effective partnerships. Tona also taught us that collaborative partnership serves to bridge communication gaps between sectors, cultures, generations, and peoples. She highlighted that the path we all choose to take in life is not linear. Instead, life opens up a variety of pathways of good and bad and everything in between—we just need to get better at navigating them.
All the news of social and environmental injustices and diverse unjust histories that inform why transformations are needed can sometimes feel overwhelming. Yet, hearing Tona’s story led us to believe that if we commit, change IS possible. When we connect to our communities and listen to one another, we can make space for intergenerational healing. And that, she showed us, can make all the difference.
We leave you to ponder the same questions that our talk with Tona inspired in us: How can you make space for your own and others’ healing? Who are the Indigenous peoples who for centuries cared for the lands where you live and what are their histories and life projects of today? Where do you wish to see a pathway open up for yourself or your community that could lead to greater partnership?