DIG MAG Summer 2024

LONG BEACH

COMMUNITY

INSPIRATION

LIFESTYLE

SUMMER 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS LB INSIDERS

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EDITOR’S NOTE

BY OLIVIA PEAY

WHERE TO NEXT: RECONNECT THROUGH HOLISTIC HEALING

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BY EMILY CAIN

DIG THE LOOK: FROM WASTE TO WARDROBE

BY ANI GUTIERREZ

HOW-TO:

EARTHWORMS IN ACTION: VERMICOMPOSTING

BY BUDDY CASILES

DIG IN: BREWING

BRILLIANCE WITH ANOMALY COFFEE CO.

BY OLIVIA PEAY

FEATURES

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SHOREBREAK

BY KATE HIZON

From oblique to awed, a youthful evening at the beach unfolds.

CALIFORNICA DREAMING

BY BRIANA MENDEZ-PADILLA

Californica Nursery spreads awareness of the importance of hyperlocal fauna to Long Beach by bringing in California native plants.

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GEOLOGIST AT THE BEACH

BY JOSEPHINE MARTINEZ

How different are we, really, from the elements around us?

OUR DUTY TO MOTHER EARTH

BY ACSAH LEMMA

Members of the Long Beach Indigenous community provide a unique perspective on honoring the Earth and maintaining sustainable practices in our daily lives.

ABOUT US

DIG is a student-produced arts and culture magazine published by CSULB’s Department of Journalism and Public Relations. We inspire readers to immerse themselves in the Long Beach lifestyle through photography, videography, design, illustration and the written word.

EDITOR IN CHIEF

VIDEO EDITOR

OLIVIA PEAY

MORGAN KHOE

SENIOR EDITOR

PODCAST EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

HANNA PIERINI

KRISTINA LEDESMA

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

ANI GUTIERREZ

ANJALI KNIGHT BRYNNA LANING

ILLUSTRATOR ALEX HEIDMAN

PHOTO EDITOR

GOPI VADSAK

DIGITAL DIRECTOR KATE HIZON

ONLINE EDITORS

MORGAN BARELA

ALYSSA GERVACIO GENEVIE NGUYEN PHOEBE ESPERANZA KOBE TAKEDA

BUSINESS MANAGER KRISTINA AGRESTA

PR & PROMOTIONS MANAGER NICOLLETTE COMBRE

ADVERTISING MANAGER SAI LWIN

EMILY CAIN GRACE HUGHES

WEB & TECHNOLOGY MASTER

NEWSLETTER EDITOR

FACULTY ADVISORS

KALYNE TOUCH

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR DUY MAI

@digmaglb www.digmaglb.com digmagazinelb@gmail.com

LEILA NUNEZ

ROBIN JONES JENNIFER NEWTON

© DIG and BeachMedia DIG is a publication of BeachMedia.

California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA-4 203, Long Beach, CA 90840-4601

DEAR READER, Nature is integrated into every aspect of our lives, whether we realize it or not. Often unnoticed yet profoundly influential. It is the ground beneath our feet. The sky above our heads. It is our food, our medicine, our houses, our vehicles. Every piece of furniture or trinket you have ever loved derives from the natural world — nature was here long before us, and it will remain here long after we’re gone.

Nature is, to me, a humbling reminder of our place in the grand scheme of things. At the end of the day, life continues amidst the chaos. The storm will pass, and the birds will fly. The ground may shake, but it will become still again.

Over the years, I have discovered that adventure in any form allows us to broaden our perspectives and deepen our capability to empathize. Through exploration, one can learn of the fragile balance of Earth’s ecosystems and the role we play in preserving them. As nature sustains us, it should be in our best interest to protect it. We can do so by shopping locally, investing in zero-waste products, volunteering, supporting green initiatives, and spreading awareness. Our actions will prompt change that can make the world a better (and greener!) place.

Long Beach is just one city on Earth – for many of us, it is home. This issue is a small but rich collection of stories, sharing insights from local businesses giving back, helpful ways to foster sustainability on your own, and the individuals striving for sustainability in their community.

So stick your feet in the sand, grass, dirt, and ocean waves for the day, and relish in the sunshine or whatever weather the sky brings. Ditch your cell phone for binoculars and explore! Everything we need is already ours — we just have to protect it.

Much love and appreciation to my team, the JPR department, and you (the reader) for supporting my creative efforts! It feels bittersweet to part ways with DIG at the end of this season, but I leave the magazine in good hands. It has been a dream to have had a space to express my creativity and share the stories of our community.

Peace, ,

Holistic medicine is traditionally practiced in many cultures, including that of the indigenous peoples native to Long Beach—the Tongva tribe. Today, Long Beach is home to many businesses that extend the benefits of holism to the larger community.

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INSIDERS · WHERE TO NEXT

Green Wisdom Herbal Studies, an herbal apothecary, was founded by Long Beach local and herbalist Julie James, whose goal is to make herbal medicines and knowledge more accessible to all people.

James and the staff at Green Wisdom welcome customers at any point in their herbalism journey, offering a safe space “to cultivate greater knowledge, to engage with the local community, to teach, to learn, to grow.”

Six days a week, patrons are welcome to explore the jars of dried herbs that line the wall, the shelves of books on holistic knowledge, and the expansive inventory of natural wellness products sold in the shop. Not only can budding herbalists stop into the Green Wisdom storefront in downtown Long Beach, but they can also sign up for a personal consultation with James.

During a consultation, James and her client work together to evaluate how herbs, nutritional supplements, and certain lifestyle changes can improve their overall sense of wellness.

For those interested in pursuing further education in herbalism, James also offers a yearly 9-month apprenticeship program in which students study plant medicine, botany, and more through lectures and handson experience.

Sacred Roots Holistic Healing is a women-owned holistic medicine practitioner co-founded in 2012 by Jocelyn Fee Miller, Jenny Ahn, and Kailey Outram that offers a variety of alternative medicine services conducted by experienced professionals. Clients can book a session, shop in their Holistic Shoppe, or participate in regular events and classes.

Upon entering for an appointment, clients of Sacred Roots are ushered into a private room for individualized care, complete with complimentary beverages to ensure total comfort. Many services are rooted in Eastern traditions and practices that reconnect the mind, body, and spirit; they include massages, acupuncture, infrared sauna, cupping, reiki and sound therapy, meditation, and ayurveda.

The Sacred Roots Holistic Healing team is diverse in background, yet all intersect in their years of experience and passion for holism. Co-founder Jenny Ahn believes “wellness is interconnected to the health of the planet and society as a whole” and hopes to bring healing practices to the Long Beach community.

2841 E. Broadway, Long Beach sacredrootsholistichealing.com

Open since 2020, FloatSpace is Long Beach’s first and only float spa. It offers Floatation Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy (Floatation-REST), a holistic practice where a person floats in high-density saline water set to the same temperature as their external body temperature, allowing for a sense of weightlessness and oneness with the surrounding water. This experience is cited with calming the nervous system, lowering stress hormones, and aiding in pain management, mental wellness, sleep quality, and more.

FloatSpace offers hour-long float sessions where dim, colored lighting and music surround the floater. Clients looking for a more meditative treatment have the option to float in one of FloatSpace’s tanks in total silence and darkness, an environment of complete sensory deprivation that allows for a more focused connection.

Floatation-REST is a practice that many can benefit from, whether to relax or heal from a physical, mental, or spiritual affliction. FloatSpace encourages everyone to float, welcoming “all types of people seeking holistic solutions” to integrate into their lives.

415 Pine Ave., Long Beach inthefloatspace.com

702 Cedar Ave., Long Beach greenwisdomherbalstudies.com

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WITH ANOMALY COFFEE COMPANY Story by Olivia Peay

Photos by Alan Escalante

Collaborative roasting and pop-up cafe Anomaly Coffee Co. redefines the brewing experience with plant-based beverages and a people-first attitude. From collaborating with rock climbers, car manufacturers and local hole-in-the-wall businesses, founder Noah Vernick proves that it’s all in the name of good company.

Taking pop-up coffee culture to a new height, Anomaly Coffee Co. draws inspiration from the budding creatives of local communities, promoting artistry and sustainability through brewing, packaging and simple conversation.

Noah Vernick, the 27-year-old founder and brewer at Anomaly, became enamored with service at the tender age of 14, entering the workforce at Jersey Mike’s to support his family in Maryland. Working for restaurants, with communities, and co-hosting philanthropic events with his brother gave him a deep sense of fulfillment throughout his adolescence.

“I always wanted to start my own business, I just didn’t know what it was,” Vernick said. “I was missing that service aspect of life [after graduating college], so I decided to try coffee.”

After relocating to California, Vernick reconnected with an old friend and founded Anomaly. He taught himself the art of roasting, diving headfirst into entrepreneurship by connecting with other roasters. Over two years, alongside his partner and an expanding team, they transitioned from hosting backyard setups to joining elaborate events, crafting unique menus for each occasion.

Homemade matcha lattes with mint syrup, cold brews, spiced gingerbread lattes and more have graced their menu — all enriched by the smoothness of oat milk. Vernick stated how oat milk is a people’s favorite: a way to delight their taste buds and honor the planet.

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INSIDERS · DIG IN “My favorite drink is something we actually haven’t launched yet,” Vernick said. “I love cardamom. We added cardamom extract to agave syrup, and put that in a cappuccino. I love the nutty, slightly bitter taste of it, and it’s something I’d love to launch with the right group.”

Anomaly roasts and sells small hand-batched beans to restaurants scattered throughout Long Beach and the surrounding counties, sometimes roasting over 200 minutes per day to fulfill orders. Their Sinister Sip, Drift Craft, and Majestic Morning packages all include the work of local artists.

Vernick and his team make it a priority for Anomaly to be a sustainableforward business, putting in every effort to ensure their products meet the needs of the community and the planet. Vernick established bike deliveries, began utilizing aluminum to compostable cups, and ditched the infamous coffee cup lid to reduce waste.

“It’s tough as a small business owner to figure out how to do these things and then understand how much it costs, if it makes sense, and if people even care enough,” Vernick said. “One time I was shipping out beans and we didn’t have any cardboard boxes, so I decided to make my own with cardboard waste.”

Some large-scale to local pop-up events Anomaly has attended include REI, Patagonia, electric car manufacturer Rivian, local literature publisher The Kingfisher and LA music event Sunday Sounds, to name a few. In March, they served over 20,000 people at the LA Marathon with oat milk brand Minor Figures.

Finding their corner in local festivities and charming locations has enhanced their customer service experience, Vernick said.

Anomaly was never about offering a simple caffeine fix, but rather a quality experience to the community — a place to have conversations and indulge in connection. Their ever-evolving menu and inclination to serve fuels their passion for roasting more than any caffeine rush.

This summer, people can expect more collaborations with Good Time Cafe, a local hotspot for smooth brews and good eats. Booking event after event has had its challenges, but Vernick remains confident that he and his team will continue to deliver their best efforts in any creative venture.

“It’s fun to serve and have everyone be excited about what we create,” Vernick said. “That’s why we do it, really. Just to serve somebody, have them enjoy the product and be thrilled about the experience as a whole.”

“That’s why we do it, really.

Just to serve somebody, have them enjoy the product and be thrilled about the experience as a whole.”

You can take a sip of Anomaly’s roasts in Long Beach at Good Time Cafe, Wrigley Coffee and Ethikli. Visit their pop-up store every Friday at the DTLB Farmer’s Market or every third Sunday at Long Beach Rising’s rock climbing gym. Keep up with their special events and collaborations via their Instagram: @anomaly.coffee.co

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Story by Ani Gutierrez Illustrations by Anjali Knight The foul realities of fast fashion continue to impact the environmental well-being of our planet, but the rise of sustainable fashion designing aims to creatively ease this textile toxicity. Designers Lissa Balenkowski and Sarah Watanabe are implementing several sustainable aspects into their designs for CSULB’s student-run annual fashion show, Campus Couture. To address overconsumption and landfill pollution, these designers aim to transform what was once deemed as trash into functional and fashionable treasures.

PATCHWORK TOP

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As fashion trends are swiftly and constantly evolving, landfills continue to accumulate low-quality clothing, which prompted fourth-year fashion merchandising major Lissa Balenkowski to ponder: “How can we survive in the future if the world is overrun by textiles?” Inspired, she created six outfits for the campus fashion show highlighting overproduction and overconsumption in fast fashion’s throwaway culture.

Every item incorporated into their garments is sustainably sourced, from the fabrics, threads, zippers, patches, and other unconventional notions added as finishing touches. Balenkowski sourced a majority of these items from friends and local thrift shops.

“I have a little bowl that I’ve been using to collect random charms, jewelry, empty spools of thread– anything that’s broken or is going to be thrown away,” they said. As someone who prefers to think outside of the box rather than relying on traditional art forms, Balenkowski says, “I will take every piece of garbage and repurpose it.”

Balenkowski is excited to showcase a patchwork top made entirely from logo tags found sewn on the back of clothing.

Inspired by the mountains of textiles piling up in landfills, they aim for this garment to symbolize environmental degradation caused by excessive clothing waste.

“I love the concept of taking the most mundane parts of a garment and repurposing them,” they said. “We live in a society where

INSIDERS · DIG THE LOOK we constantly consume and we’re always being pushed to buy more in fashion.

There used to be four seasons, and now it’s changed to this ‘52 micro-seasons’ thing…it’s kind of terrifying.”

Designer and third-year fashion design major Sarah Watanabe is basing her Campus Couture collection on what fashion would be like in a dystopian society.

“In a post-apocalyptic world, there wouldn’t be any new designs being made, you’d have to just work with what you can find that’s already out there,” Watanabe said.

Like Balenkowski, Watanabe likes embellishing her garments with atypical trinkets, adding oddities like keys into her designs.

“I like to look through eBay and bid on people’s random stuff like vintage pins, patches, buttons, keys– pretty much anything you’d find in your grandpa’s junk drawer,” she said.

A design that Watanabe is eager to showcase is an upcycled medieval chainmail hat adorned with various keys and keychains.

Alongside her admiration for decorating with knick-knacks, Watanabe also incorporates hats into every design. Thinking back to the hats she made for her first fashion show at her community college, Watanabe emphasizes her niche for hats.

“When I start designing, I always think of hats first,” she said. “There’s never hair out in my designs.”

Watanabe and Balenkowski are among numerous designers integrating sustainability into their work. By sourcing materials from thrift stores, second-hand websites, and acquaintances, these designers stylishly showcase the art of upcycling while simultaneously highlighting the environmental stress of fast fashion.

With anticipation of their collection creating an impact on the audience, Balenkowski said, “When people see my designs, I want them to think about what they wear, how they care for their clothes, and consider what happens to them after they’ve been thrown out.”

MEDIEVAL CHAINMAIL HAT

KEY PANTS

HATS

@ANJALIS_ STUD

IO

See Balenkowski and Watanabe’s designs in-person at Campus Couture ’s fashion show on May 3 at 6 p.m., loca ted at the central quad on upper campus.

You can purchase tickets by visiting their Instagram @campuscouturecsulb

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Story by Buddy Casiles

Illustration by Christina Hung

STEP ONE: OBTAIN A BIN To start composting, you need a container. You can either purchase a pre-made bin, such as the Can-OWorms from the Long Beach Recycles website, or you can assemble your own.

Ideally, your bin should have three separate layers with open tops and hardware screens on the bottom.

The top layer holds food scraps and worms, the middle collects compost, and the bottom gathers liquid if the bin gets too moist. Some containers even have a spigot on the bottom tray for dispensing liquid.

Ensure the bin has a cover, airholes, and is opaque to keep the worms in complete darkness. While using fewer layers is possible, it will be harder to harvest compost without disturbing the worms.

STEP TWO: COLLECT THE MATERIALS Next is collecting the materials you will be putting into the bin. The worms you want to get are specifically California

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Red Wiggler Worms, which can eat up to half of their body weight in a single day. Beginners should start with a pound of worms, as they should be able to eat half a pound of food scraps every day. You can purchase worms from local suppliers such as the Armstrong Garden Center or McCrawls Redworms.

Using bedding, or “browns,” will help control the level of moisture in the bin and provide cover for the worms to live in. Examples of suitable bedding include shredded paper, egg cartons, cardboard, and newspaper strips.

STEP THREE: SET IT UP Now it’s time to put your materials into your bin. Add bedding to your bin, dampen it slightly, then introduce the worms. Once they’re settled, start feeding them with organic waste, like fruit scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells, avoiding dairy, meats, oils, acidic foods, nutshells, and grass. Bury the food scraps beneath the surface for easier access.

INSIDERS · HOW-TO

STEP FOUR: MAINTENANCE After feeding your worms, leave them alone for a few days to convert food into compost, but check their environment occasionally for suitability. The bin’s contents should be slightly moist. If it is too wet, add more bedding; if it is too dry, lightly spray it with water.

Avoid overfeeding the worms, as it can harm them. Introduce new foods gradually, rotating their placement within the bin. Split the food up into four quadrants and place it into a different quadrant each time you feed them, so that you can see what your worms have eaten. Optimize the consistency of their food by crushing, cutting, or freezing the scraps.

STEP FIVE: HARVESTING COMPOST

resemble dark brown or black soil.

It should not emit unpleasant odors.

If your bin has layers, the worm castings should accumulate in the middle or second tray. Regardless, you may need to separate the worms from the finished compost before use. Worm castings can be used in various ways: spread one to two inches on soil, topped with more soil or mulch, or mixed with soil at a ratio of three parts soil to one part castings.

Benefits of using the worm castings include faster plant growth, improved drainage and water retention, natural pest control, absence of heavy metals, and an increased yield in edible plants.

For more in-depth information about vermicomposting or composting in general, visit longbeach.gov/lbrecycles.

It typically takes three to four months for the worms to produce usable compost, which should

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Photo by Gopi Vadsak

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FEATURES • POEM

Story by Kate Hizon

Illustration by Camilo Neri Munoz

we stayed out past operational hours, waiting for surges that could reach our highest ambitions. but nothing grew taller than the swell of our loud laughter. the Pacific wasn’t the only body to wrestle on the sand – all of us did. chest and palms thudding on cold wet ground, grains sticking to wrists and eyebrows. the beach always beckoned for trouble when the night had nowhere else to go. and in our eyes we commanded it all. with arms stretched out, the water receded in return. it wasn’t until the waves pulled back that truces settled. amidst the PCH wind, everything should brittle and blow away. but here we all were, solid youth bundled by nothing but bone and punchline. and here was the vastness of which we suddenly seemed unworthy of. we tried to find the word for the moment just before shorebreak, when the ripple rushes towards you, spilling metallic foam over every inevitable tendon. but our minds drew a blank. we could only huddle there in silence, small and unsuspecting against the eternity of deep deep blue.

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a ll i d a Story by: Mendez-P Briana Photos by:

Gopi Vadsak

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FEATURES • PROFILE

Californica Nursery spreads awareness of the importance of hyperlocal fauna to Long Beach by bringing in California native plants.

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Ian Rhodes’ and Jackson Driscoll’s fascination with nature began in elementary school.

Rhodes remembers catching lizards to the dismay of his freaked-out classmates, while Driscoll much preferred his science classes to math or English.

Driscoll went on to study natural resource management at Oregon State University, while Rhodes majored in environmental studies and economics at UC Santa Cruz. Now, the two are co-owners of Californica Nursery, a Long Beach-based California native plants nursery.

The friends’ passion projectturned-successful business wasn’t born until the two returned to Long Beach after college during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Excited to apply what they had learned during their undergraduate education to their hometown, Driscoll and Rhodes had begun growing native species in their respective backyards. As their spaces overflowed with fauna, they decided to become a source for other plant enthusiasts to get native plants.

While Driscoll and Rhodes had some initial reservations about how their friendship might be impacted by starting a business together, it in turn became one of their greatest strengths.

Being comfortable and communicative with one another, as well as moving in together, has made their business run smoothly.

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“Putting a label of ‘business’ on it doesn’t change anything, it’s just fun to do,” Driscoll said. “It’s a blend of working hard and just joking around always.”

The plants that make up Californica Nursery begin in Rhodes’s and Driscoll’s shared backyard. The pair does their best to source seeds locally and ethically, which they typically plant in the fall so they can grow naturally during the rainy season. Once the plants outgrow a one-gallon pot size, they are moved to a space given to Rhodes and Driscoll by the Growing Experience, an urban farm and community garden in North Long Beach.

“This isn’t a permanent spot by any means, but it’s super excellent for us to have because every year we’d max out on space in our backyard,” Rhodes said.

Native sages, buck weeds and showy flowers are just some of the beginner-friendly plants Californica Nursery offers. While Driscoll is drawn to planting these more common types of plants, Rhodes said he enjoys planting more “oddball stuff.”

“I try to push people onto the uncommon stuff sometimes just to diversify native yards,” Rhodes said.

“Putting a label of ‘business’ on it doesn’t change anything, it’s just fun to do.”

“We love when we plant plants and we see wildlife using them.. ” “Often, even in native landscaping, you’ll see the same suite of plants.”

“Californica” is the species name for different California native plants— like Californica Buckeye or Artemisia Californica; this focus on hyper locality stems from Driscoll and Rhodes’s background in plant conservation and restoration.

“We love when we plant plants and we see wildlife using them like butterflies, bees and all sorts of insects, small mammals, birds; it’s so obvious when you look at a very manicured non-native landscape versus a native landscape,” Driscoll said.

Native plants are natural to the area where they are found and have evolved for millions of years to be there. They are a crucial part of the ecosystem and provide food and shelter for the ecosystem’s inhabitants.

Non-native plants have not historically been a part of the area they are in, and instead have been introduced by humans. They don’t provide food and shelter to the local wildlife.

Rhodes added that they “try to keep it as local as possible for the purpose of genetics and just the benefit for wildlife.”

Rhodes and Driscoll don’t just sell plants – they also offer landscaping services and their general expertise.

Rhodes said people often have misconceptions about what native plants are, reducing them to “weeds” when, in reality, their impact includes increasing wildlife and drought tolerance. Rhodes enjoys talking to people about the importance of native plants at different community events.

There is also a conversation around aesthetics that often discourages folks from investing in native plants. Rhodes said people often ask, ‘Does it have flowers?’ when looking at Californica Nursery plants, which exemplifies the disconnect that exists between people and nature/plants.

“It’s purely visual for most people, which is the obstacle to get people on board with plants and especially native plants, like seeing the values beyond just how it looks, which is like the age-old reason non-native [plants] exist here,” Driscoll said. “People usually leave our conversations feeling kind of refreshed or like stoked on native plants.”

Tabling events have been one of the indicators of Californica Nursery’s growth. They began tabling a few years back, and while in the beginning it involved them reaching out to events to see if they could table, their popularity has grown to the point that people have started reaching out to them first. At its core, Californica Nursery remains a passion project.

“Even through our ups and downs, business-wise, I’m still so stoked about what I’m doing and stopping and looking back and realizing that I am making a difference,” Rhodes said. “As much as it may be small at the time, it means a lot to me.”

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THRIFT AD

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FEATURES • POEM

GEOLOGIST AT THE BEACH

How different, I think, I am from the rest As I ponder the sand between my toes.

Mostly quartz, grinded down from some high mountain crest.

But the feldspar and mica and hornblende are soft.

By the time they reach the great briny blue The grains are tiny and light and carried aloft.

Once I’m finished contemplating granite’s great fall, Then I smile in the sun and I play in the waves And in practice, I think, we are not different at all.

Poem by Josephine Martinez Illustration by Alex Heideman

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Across all ethnicities, cultures and communities, one thing connects us all to each other, and that is the Earth. Whether you find yourself as part of a monotheistic religion, polytheistic religion or just no religion at all, the Earth plays a pivotal role in how all of us perceive our existence, here with the living and beyond.

No one understands that more than Indigenous peoples, especially in the United States where Native Americans were the original caretakers of the land. Kelly Stewart, an American Indian Studies professor at Long Beach State and member of both the Luiseño tribe and the Gabrielino-Tongva tribe, was taught from an early age to treat the Earth like her relative. Her elders instilled in her the belief that “we are of the Earth. We are not above her.”

Stewart says she was taught that, as humans, we are just one tiny element in the grand scheme of life, but society has made us believe that Man is above the Earth and all other living things. However, according to Stewart, several Creation myths in the Southern Californian tribal communities tell the story of how out of all the living entities, Man was the last created. The Earth, water, plants and animals all came before Man because “we were the last thought, and the Creator wanted us to take care of all these other things,” she said.

“Each has their own sacred duty.”

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FEATURES • PROFILE

While that protective instinct has always been rooted in Indigenous-American cultures, it is not the duty only of Indigenous peoples to preserve and honor the Earth, according to Stewart.

Gratitude to the land we inhabit, food we eat and water we drink is a habit that Thomas James Reed, an American Indian Studies professor at CSULB, believes all humans should have.

A member of the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin, Reed says that whenever the tribes come together for different ceremonies and traditional meetings, the beginning component is always the Thanksgiving address that is spoken in the traditional language of the peoples in attendance.

In the address, the speaker will “give thanks for basically everything that’s living, everything that’s around us.” The speaker will thank the Earth, the moon, the sun, water, the animals and everything that sustains and provides them with life. Reed says that this sense of gratitude is a core part of the Oneidapeople and a core part of their political, religious and identity beliefs.

Especially when eating meat, Reed says he tries to have a lot of gratitude because “that animal’s life lives on inside me.”

In the Oneida Nation specifically, members are split into three clans: the Turtle clan, the Wolf clan and the Bear clan. Each has their own sacred duty. As a member of the Turtle clan, Reed’s duty is to “preserve and take care of

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Mother Earth,” he said. Not only does he follow that, Reed also emphasizes that having a connection to the land and living things around you is a way to honor the Earth as well.

He achieves this in many ways, one of those being carrying around traditional Oneida-grown plants with him, which he says helps him maintain his connection with the land. One of those plants is tobacco, which he holds in his left hand since it’s the hand closest to the heart, whenever he wants to make requests of the Creator.

Another plant that Reed carries on his person is Oneidagrown white sage, which he says has spiritual and medicinal properties. While there are many ways to use it, such as keeping it in your pocket, another way to release its properties is through a method called smudging, according to Reed.

Smudging is a sacred ritual involving the burning of sage to cleanse the body and mind of negativity and restore balance and harmony. “You smudge your hands to do good things, you smudge your head to think good thoughts,” he said. Reed explained that some people will smudge the

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distance from their head to their heart because “that 18 inches is the longest journey a human being will make in their lifetime, connecting their head to their heart.” Sage helps with that journey and connects the pathways between the two, according to Reed.

“ You smudge your hands to do good things, you smudge your head to think good thoughts.”

While traditional Indigenous practices such as smudging might not appeal to all people, Stewart says that protecting and honoring the Earth boils down to two important things: conservation and sustainability. “We shouldn’t be taking more from the Earth than we need to sustain ourselves,” she said. In other words, Stewart explains it’s as simple as this, “You’re hungry? Will an apple sustain you? Take one, don’t take five.” She emphasizes

FEATURES • PROFILE

that it’s important to sit with yourself daily and ponder what you have taken from the Earth, whether it be water, food, or more, and what have you given back.

“You can’t just take and take and take because eventually things are depleted; you have to give back to it, too,” she said.

A way that Stewart gives back is gardening. In her apartment balcony, Stewart maintains a flourishing home garden. One of the plants she grows is deer grass, which is used in traditional Indigenous basket weaving.

Another plant she cultivates is white sage.

In addition to sustainability and conservation, both Reed and Stewart echo that it is crucial to see the Earth as a living entity and that everything on it, whether it is the plants, animals or water, is connected to each other.

While some may see it as sustainable to preserve animal life and avoid eating meat, both Reed and Stewart believe that every living thing has a purpose, and if that purpose was to provide life for others through death, then that is honorable.

“I think that death can be a heavy thing, but I think it also gives meaning to things as well,” Reed said. “It recognizes that life is sacred, life has value no matter who you are, or where you’re from. And for me, I see life as a gift across all cultures.”

Reed says that it’s important to recognize throughout all our efforts that “Everything we’re doing, it’s not just for ourselves, not just for our families, not just for this generation, but you’re doing it in a way to make the world a better place for seven generations to come.” Stewart shares similar sentiments, saying that in this troubling time, she feels more protective of the Earth not just as an Indigenous person, but also as a great-aunt to her five-year old niece, Abby.

“I want there to be an Earth when Abby is here,” she said. An important lesson that Stewart feels every inhabitant of the Earth should internalize is that we’re only here for a finite amount of time... but, as long as we care for it, nature and the Earth are here forever.”

“ We’re only

here for a finite amount of time... but, as long as we care for it, nature & the Earth are here forever.”

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