I think it's really important for us to acknowledge
our tribal relatives wherever we are and whenever we can.
So I ask you all to join me in acknowledging
the Amah Mutsun communities, their elders,
both past and present, as well as emerging,
for they are our future.
These lands and waters were founded upon exclusions and erasures
of many Indigenous people, including the Amah Mutsun, whose waters
this vessel, the Okeanos Explorer, sits upon today.
In spite of all that is happening, each tribe, council,
clan, and band is working hard to restore their traditional stewardship
practices on their lands and waters and heal from this historic trauma.
Together as a community, we can acknowledge the mistakes
and atrocities of the past,
move forward in remembrance and relationship with the local Amah Mutsun
and other Indigenous people in our areas to begin the process of healing
by making sure that the processes here and everywhere we are
make room for all Indigenous voices to be heard,
their traditional knowledge of their territories be listened to,
and their people to be a part of the healing of these lands
and waters as well as themselves.
This is a call to action to all to begin the process
of creating a relationship with your local Indigenous communities
and to work to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.
Thank you for giving me the time to say that.