A new art display recognizing the oak trees sacred to Southern California's Native American tribes has recently been installed in the Student Success Center at UC Riverside (900 University Ave, Riverside, CA). The display was made from oak trees that were felled for the construction of the building. The art display has been the focus of a recent Inside UCR News article and contains several elements. One is a map made from oak planks with acrylic panels that illustrates the historic territory of Native American tribes in Southern California. There is also a large screen display which shows a short video providing background on the display and Native American contributions. Also as described in the article, along the top of the display is UCR’s Native American Land Acknowledgement, in which the campus recognizes its responsibility to the Cahuilla, Tongva, Luiseño, and Serrano peoples as the original and current caretakers of the land, water, and air. Along the bottom is an apology to the oak trees that once stood there, promising that UCR will “continue to remember and honor the oak trees through the beauty they provide in this art installation.” The display was a joint effort of multiple groups within and outside of UCR. Joaquin Torango, a coordinator with Native American Student Programs, sketched out the idea for the map display, and Chagrin Valley Custom Furniture, an Ohio-based company that specializes in handcrafted furniture constructed the display. The company’s creative director, Sky Ironhorse, also worked with UCR on the display.
#UC Riverside #Native American #Indigenous peoples #oak #Southern California #Inland Empire Art
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