Cindi Alvitre is a mother and grandmother, and she has been an educator and artist-activist for over three decades. She is a descendant of the original inhabitants of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. In 1985, she and Lorene Sisquoc cofounded Mother Earth Clan, a collective of Indian women who created a model for cultural and environmental education. In the late 1980s she cofounded Ti’at Society, sharing in the renewal of ancient maritime practices of the coastal and island Tongva. She currently teaches American Indian Studies at California State University, Long Beach.

Carly Lake is an artist, illustrator, and art educator. Her illustrations have been published in magazines, storyboards, comics, and the chapter book Candice Can Go. She lives and makes art near the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles, CA. She invites you to explore more of her work at carlylake.com.