The Land You’re On with Pamela Villaseñor

An Invitation to Listen, Learn, and Connect 

As part of the 2025 Western Arts Alliance (WAA) Conference, The Land You’re On offers a powerful and public opportunity to engage with Indigenous perspectives beyond the standard land acknowledgment. Held on Tuesday, September 2, from 12:00 to 1:30 PM, this luncheon honors the original stewards of what is now known as Los Angeles County, with a focus on the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. 

The Land You’re On features Pamela Villaseñor, executive director of the Tribe and a longtime advocate for Native sovereignty and wellness. Villaseñor will lead a conversation about the cultural, political, and artistic histories of the Tataviam people. The event aims to create space for tribal welcome protocols, community-building, and deeper understanding among performing arts professionals working in Native homelands. 

Villaseñor is enrolled in the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indian (FTBMI) where she has worked tirelessly to help with the Tribe’s nation-building efforts. Villaseñor is the first California Native woman to serve as the Executive Director of Pukúu Cultural Community Services (Pukúu), the social service non-profit founded by the FTBMI. Over the years, Villaseñor has held prestigious fellowships including with Americans for Indian Opportunity’s Ambassadors Program and Native Americans in Philanthropy’s Circle of Leadership Academy, as well as served as a North American Indigenous Caucus delegate for the planning of the United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. 

The $17.71 registration fee references the year 1771, when the first Spanish mission was established in Los Angeles which marked the beginning of settler colonialism in California. Lunch will be served, and time will be set aside for questions and discussion. 

This event sets the tone for a conference committed to equity, reciprocity, and long-term Indigenous collaboration in Los Angeles. 

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