I have a diverse and rich cultural background that has significantly influenced my life and artistry. My heritage is a tapestry woven from various American Indian and Native Alaskan communities. On one side of my family, my paternal grandmother, Nellie Pommier, was Chumash and French. The Barbareno Chumash, although not federally recognized as a tribe, have a deep-rooted presence in California, including Santa Barbara, where I was born and raised.

The anthropologist Dr. John Johnson, affiliated with UCSB and The Santa Barbara Natural History Museum, conducted a comprehensive study of our family tree. This research helped illuminate our Chumash heritage and the significance of our connection to the land and water in Santa Barbara.

Interestingly, my journey of self-discovery continued as I learned about my Tlingit/Haida heritage. In 1971, the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act recognized my family as Tlingit/Haida, shedding light on a previously unknown aspect of our cultural background. Growing up, I was not fully aware of this part of my heritage, as my family primarily identified as Mexican due to our Spanish surnames and linguistic connections.

It was only in my adult years, during research for the American Indian Health Clinic Needs Assessment, that I had the opportunity to interview Santa Barbara Chumash. Through these conversations, I gained a deeper understanding of my tribal history and the shared cultural ties that bound us together.

In my 40s, I made a deliberate choice to move to the homeland of my Tlingit grandmother, who had been adopted at the age of 4 by Santa Barbara Missionaries from Sitka, Alaska. In Sitka, I reconnected with my relatives and immersed myself in our rich tribal history, contemporary culture, and traditional practices.

Both the Chumash and the Tlingit people share a maritime heritage, which has played a pivotal role in shaping my artistic perspective. My upbringing involved playing on the shores of Santa Barbara beaches and traveling by boat to the Channel Islands. This profound connection to the sea, the natural world, and the land informs the essence of my artwork.

I am deeply committed to ensuring that my story, as well as the cultural legacies of the Chumash and Tlingit communities, are passed down to future generations. I accomplish this through my storytelling, my paintings, and the invaluable support of my Chumash friends and family. It is my hope that my work serves as a bridge between the past and the present, allowing others to learn from the rich tapestry of my cultural heritage.

In 2001 our Chumash Paddlers paddled our tomol (canoe) across the Santa Barbara Channel to Limuw (Santa Cruz Island). I was a part of this historic trip (I am the female on the right in the photograph) and we several hundred local native people recreated our village and camped for several days and ate foods served by indigenous tribes of California. This epic voyage was documented by PBS.