Introducing L. Frank Manriquez: Irresponsible Artist, Responsible Activist

By Stephanie Beard Communications Coordinator

L. Frank is Tongvetam, Acjachemen, and Rarámuri and their preferred pronoun is pó – a Native gender identifier that you’ll see throughout this piece. The Tongvetam (TONG-vetam), sometimes called Tongva, are Indigenous to the Los Angeles Basin and the Southern Channel Islands, while the Acjachemen (HAH-shi-men) are Indigenous to what are now the southern areas of Orange County and the northwestern areas of San Diego County. The Rarámuri, renowned for their long-distance running ability, are Indigenous to what is now the state of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico.

L. comes across as wisened, yet is never far from a genuine laugh or smile, and always has a joke on deck. One thing about L. Frank that has always impressed me is pó ability to keep lighthearted even in the depths of difficult conversations – a dash of whimsy is what L. brings to even the tensest moments. A keynote speaker for a Bioneers Conference one year, L. was incorrectly introduced as Pomo. L. got up and opened with “well, I’m not Pomo, but I can spell it!”

During our virtual interview, L. is scribbling something below the view of the camera. I’ve known L. for some time now, so I’m certain there is artistry unfurling just out of my view. Pó is always doodling something rather casually stunning or evocative in the margin of whatever piece of paper is handiest. “L.,” I say, “are you doodling down there?” Pó laughs unabashedly, and lifts the page for me to see a picture taking shape, “some people think I’m taking notes!” An understandable mistake to make.

A gifted artist and cartoonist, L. Frank has exhibited pó artwork (paintings, sculpture, weavings, photography, cartoons, and regalia) in museums and galleries locally, nationally, and internationally. Pó calls themself an irresponsible artist and I wonder if this is partly because of the doodling habit. Pó says this often in contrast with the other strong facet of pó being: activism, “I’m an irresponsible artist and a responsible activist,” pó says definitively.

L. works to revitalize Indigenous languages and is the co-founder of Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival and also serves on the Board of The Cultural Conservancy, to name just a couple advocacy roles. L. brings extensive knowledge of California Indian cultural affairs to pó position on the Native Advisory Council at early days of the Native Advisory Council’s convening. And it was very intentional.

L. has great hopes for local Native people to have access to and gather the plants they need without having to beg or pay to do so. This is a customary barrier these days, as many culturally significant places and resources are now considered to be on private lands. Indigenous access to these places and resources is then either barred entirely or restricted unless special acceptances can be made. For Pepperwood, these sorts of things are in the works, but L. believes they could really be happening now. Navigating

Native Advisory Council, Pepperwood has increased access to Indigenous perspectives through educational programming. L. looks forward to seeing more of this in years to come. “I would like us to be more prominent in our educational access for youth, for instance teaching Indigenous science alongside Western science,” pó explains, “People tend to talk about the land without any indigeneity. English and western thought will happen, but the Indigenous science will not happen as assuredly because the people teaching it are not Indigenous, and the curriculum is not Indigenous. Indigenous is hard to find and get across because we’re so busy

Pepperwood. L.’s work re-Indigenizing language helped to influence Pepperwood’s own name reIndigenization campaign in 2021. Now, all of Pepperwood’s signage for trail names includes not only the English names, but the Indigenous names.

L. first became involved with Pepperwood before it was known as Pepperwood. Then, pó was on the Board of the California Indian Basketweavers Association (CIBA), on which pó served for fifteen years. “I’m not really sure how I got on the Council,” L. explains, “I was with a larger group of Natives and we were being asked a bunch of questions and I just didn’t go away. Ya know, I think I got on the Council by attrition – just wouldn’t go away!” Though, in reality, it was Pepperwood’s Cultural Resource Coordinator, Ben Benson who initially got L. Frank involved with the Pepperwood Foundation in the the protection of sacred places and plants without restricting access is something Pepperwood is working on to facilitate greater cultural access for local Indigenous people.

Meanwhile, the Native Advisory Council is working to increase access to traditional foodways. Uplifting the unity between health of body, mind, and spirit, it is a priority for the Council to create opportunities for Indigenous communities to have access to traditional foods. The Council is identifying Native plant communities that still exist on the land that, with support and Indigenous stewardship, can provide sustainable food systems for the Indigenous community, and eventually the community at large.

As a teacher and elder, education is extremely important to L., especially when it comes to teaching younger generations. In partnership with the trying to fit into this world.” L.’s vision is for curricula that share the stories and perspectives of the land’s First Peoples alongside western science.

In the last year alone, the Native Advisory Council and Pepperwood have collaborated to re-indigenize trail names, increase the number of Indigenous visitors to the land, and bring cultural burning back to the land that is now Pepperwood. This momentum will continue in years to come, and in large part because of the combined strengths of each of the Native Advisory Council’s six members. L. Frank is among the longest-serving members of the Council and looks forward to continuing this important collaborative work.