S4, E9: Illuminating Local History Part 1 with Ofelia Guzman and Thomas Hiura

In this episode, part 1 of 2, our hosts welcome ILLUMINATION collection team members Ofelia Guzman and Thomas Hiura to discuss their experiences with the project, the impact they’ve seen from this work and what they’d like to see in the future.

ILLUMINATION is a history and story collection project started by Madeline McGraw and Mindy Linder to actively work to address representation in its collection, recognizing that museum institutions have historically used gatekeeping and erasure in collection practices. 

Through ILLUMINATION, the museum’s intention is to lead with transparency and accountability, to build relationships and trust with members of the community who have been left out of the historical narrative. The goal is for the Springfield History Museum to offer a more inclusive representation of all the people who have both shaped and been shaped by Springfield and rural east Lane County. For these people to be empowered as stewards of their own stories, and to entrust the Springfield History Museum with the preservation, documentation, interpretation and display of their stories through exhibits, archives and digital collections.

The culminating works from this project will all become part of the Springfield History Museum archive, available to the public. Selected images and narratives will also become part of the permanent heritage exhibit on display at the museum.

Hosts: Kristen Curé & Mindy Linder (guest host)

Date of recording:  October 27, 2025

Mentioned in this episode:

ILLUMINATION virtual exhibit 

Transcript

Kristen: 0:05

Hello, and welcome to Overdue :Weeding Out Oppression in Libraries, a podcast produced by the Oregon Library Association's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Antiracism Committee. I'm Kristen Cure. My pronouns are she, her, a, jet, and I am a public librarian in Oregon and a member of Reforma Oregon and the Oregon Library Association's Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Antiracism Committee. We are thrilled today to welcome a special guest host for the show, Mindy Linder. Mindy Linder is a cisgender white disabled mom from Eugene, Oregon on Callipooia Ihili, the unceded homeland of the Callipooia people. Mindy currently works as a community engagement specialist for the Springfield Public Library and History Museum in Oregon. The focus of her work is to build relationships and trust with underserved communities, developing networks across a spectrum of identities for community-led partnerships and collaboration on free, accessible, and inclusive public programs that celebrate the arts, culture, heritage, and literacy. She's the co-founder and project manager for Illumination, an ongoing community-led project that centers the history and voices of those currently underrepresented in the Springfield History Museum collections. She also manages and curates an annual nine-week outdoor multicultural series, part of the annual summer reading celebration that engages thousands of community members, artists, and culture holders. Today we also have two special guests who will be joining us from the Illumination Project, Ofelia Guzman. Ofelia is a successful entrepreneur, loving mother, and active community leader serving on the City Council-appointed advisory board for the Springfield Public Library. She is a professional photographer, offering timeless, colorful, and love-filled portrait sessions for newborns, maternity, families, and children in Lane County, Oregon. Ofelia also captures exquisite community projects and events for a variety of international artists and organizations. She is also known for her wildlife and nature photography, which has been exhibited by the Springfield Arts Commission. Whatever the project, Ofelia strives to build a relationship of trust, friendship, and respect. The results speak for themselves. Our other special guest is Thomas Huida. Thomas is a multimedia producer, hip-hop musician, and community activist. He has lived in Lane County since moving from Japan at age two. In between dishwashing shifts at Toshi's Ramen, he currently serves as the president of the City Club of Eugene, which is one of the largest civic engagement nonprofits in Oregon. Thomas was recently the co-leader of the City of Eugene Human Rights Commission, and he continues to serve on the board of the WOW Hall, a performing arts community center and music venue in the National Register of Historic Places. Thomas has toured the country twice under his rap name, Gradient, and in May he was elected by North Eugene voters to the school board for the Lane Education Service District. Most recently, he created one of the first ever podcasts about the Oregon Ducks softball team because that team is at least as awesome as the football team.

Mindy: 3:06

Hello, I am Mindy Linder. My pronouns are she, her, and I am the community engagement specialist for the Springfield Public Library and History Museum.

Kristen: 3:17

Thank you so much for joining us today, Mindy, and co-hosting. I have a little icebreaker question that's both for both of our guests and for Mindy, if you'd all like to answer. Each of you have been working to collect the history and stories of others in the Illumination project. Can you share one moment from your work with the project that you carry with you?

Thomas: 3:43

Sure. So I'm Thomas, and I don't think that this is actually a very lighthearted moment for an icebreaker, but one of the six interviewees that I got to interview as part of the project was such a beloved force in the Asian community in Eugene and Springfield. And when she passed away, uh she had a story to tell about pioneering the business community for AAPI in Eugene Springfield. And um Amy Yogi, who was one of our project members, knew that she had this story that was burning in her chest to tell it. And we got to hear from her in an hour-long interview. And then um, really a matter of months later, ultimately, she did leave us, and uh I got to attend her funeral, her memorial at Autzen Stadium and just see how beloved she was. So I think that's one of the things I carry most. There were many joyful moments as well, but uh that one sticks out to me. Ada Lee was her name. I'm sorry, I probably should have said that. Ada Lee, rest in peace.

Kristen: 4:53

Well, and for folks who don't live in Eugene Springfield, Autzen Stadium is the football stadium where the Oregon Ducks play. So it's a huge venue for Memorial that's really meaningful.

Mindy: 5:07

So I've been with the project since the beginning, so I have countless anecdotes and memories that um that I hold and carry forward with me from Illumination. But, one that I'll share today was from one instance where uh Amy Yogi, who worked on the Asian American Pacific Islander collection, she and I went to install uh that exhibit at Thurston Middle School here in our community. And as we were um installing the photographs and the interpretive texts in the um middle school library, Amy and I, you know, we're always talking about something. And that day we happened to be talking about um language and how interesting it is that language often reflects the values of a culture. And so we were specifically talking about the Hawaiian language because Amy, um, she's Okinawan and Japanese American and born in Hawaii. So we were talking about the Hawaiian language and this little sixth grade boy like gives us this look across the room and he goes, Hawaiian, I'm Hawaiian. And then he comes like trotting over. And then I was like, Oh yeah, really? I said, Well, you know, she was born. I point to Amy, I was like, she was born in Hawaii. And he was like, Oh, what island? And so then they had this like really sweet exchange about the different islands that they were born on and, you know, where their ancestors come from, and a little bit of like language banter in Hawaiian, and that was really sweet. And then um I pointed Amy out on the wall of the library because um Amy was not only part of the collection team, but as this amazing elder and matriarch of the Asian community locally, we also captured her story. And so I pointed um to her photo on the wall. And the kid was like, whoa, is that you? She's like, Yeah. And I said, you know, and look at all these other people. This is part of an Asian Pacific Islander collection from the museum. These are all local community members. And watching his face as he started like looking over the different photos on the different walls of the library and saying, wait, all these people? And because we had six. And so, that was just really sweet and really stuck with me and was like the epitome of the example of how important this is and why we do this is to make sure um, and well, to make sure for people that don't know, Springfield, not unlike most of Oregon, is um uh the dominant culture and majority is white or Caucasian presenting. And so it's really important and really meaningful for us to have um representation, these windows and mirrors that reflect, you know, the familiar faces and experiences for our kids and elders and everyone in between, as well as those windows that um that offer curiosity and compassion from others. Right. So that's my anecdote.

Kristen: 8:15

Thank you, Mindy. Mindy, we're so excited to have you join us as a co-host for this episode and our next episode, we will also talk about illumination. As the co-founder of the Illumination Project, we can't think of anyone better to help us facilitate a discussion about the background and impact of this phenomenal project. Before we dive into our questions for our guests, would you mind sharing with our listeners about what illumination is, how it has evolved over time, and what impact the work has had on your community?

Mindy: 8:50

Absolutely. So, Illumination is an ongoing story collection project of the Springfield History Museum, which I had the pleasure of co-founding with my colleague, museum curator Madeline McGraw, during the height of COVID. So Illumination intentionally centers the history, stories, and experiences of our people in Springfield and rural East Lane County who've been historically marginalized and or who are currently underrepresented in our collections. So each Illumination collection is developed through a community-led project with a team who has affinity and lived experience with each-centered community. And we use interviews, photographs, and research to illuminate the beautiful mosaic of our Springfield identity. So the Springfield History Museum, our collection has over 6,000 photographs and 2,000 archival documents. So to give you some perspective, before illumination, there were only a handful of non-white Springfielders in those 7,000 or 8,000 documents, and only one of those was identified by name. In contrast, today we have 35 new oral history video interviews and more than 150 photographs from across a spectrum of identities and four collections of people who we now know from the Mexican American, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black and African American, and American Indian and Alaska Native communities. And this is all thanks to the thoughtful, intentional care and commitment of the story collection teams that myself and the museum have had the honor and pleasure to serve with and support. And I just want to share that over the years, Illumination has evolved in response to each community. And I think that's really a testament of its success. So what started during COVID as a small winter window exhibit with a very cold outdoor opening reception has grown to include these community gatherings and cultural celebrations, school outreach events, workshops, and now traveling exhibits. And most importantly, the museum itself has this growing collection of rich, diverse stories and perspectives that will be available to historians and researchers and everyone for generations to come.

Kristen: 11:28

Thank you so much for that introduction, Mindy. This next question is for our guests who are each part of the story collection project team. Thomas and Ofelia, how did you first hear about the Illumination project and why did you want to be a part of the project team? What role did you play? And Ofelia, uh if you'd like, we can start with you.

Ofelia: 11:51

When I first heard about the Illumination Project was when Mindy Linder reached out to me after being referred by Johannes Dale, the first story collector and project partner. When Mindy explained the idea, I immediately connected with it. It was actually similar to a project I had been thinking about even before the pandemic. Unfortunately, I couldn't move forward with the plan at the time for the same reason, the pandemic. So when Illumination came along, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring that vision to life. It's something I truly believe in, sharing the real stories of immigrants in our st in our community. Showing their faces, their homes, their pride and their journeys. This was meant to happen. It just wasn't my time when I first thought about it. Um and it wasn't my time, however, this was maybe because it was meant to be bigger than I imagined. Bigger and greater. My role was to photograph Latino members of the Springfield community who had lived here for many years. I helped identify meaningful spaces in their homes for their portraits and guided them in choosing items that represented them. Represented who they are and where they come from for the where they came from for the first collection. The second group of wonderful human beings were photographed in my studio. Of course, I aspired to create beautiful photos, but it wasn't just about doing just that. It was about helping people feel seen, creating something honest and lasting for the community, and contributing project, contributing to a project that gave voice and visibility to those who had often been overlooked.

Thomas: 14:02

So similarly to Ofelia, I came into this work because Mindy asked me to. This was in like the 2000s. And she was such a spirited, vigorous debate coach, and I was connected with her after I graduated and knew of her tireless commitment to equity work and seeing justice. And um I was really honored that she thought I would be somebody who could help contribute to the Asian American Pacific Islander Native Hawaiian chapter of illumination. Um I'm glad Ofelia went first because they set the standard. We were the second. So we kind of had the responsibility of doing what they did in a way that would continue to set that template. Um I did not choose who would be interviewed. My role was to follow the wisdom of our photographer and our um uh what's the word? And our consultant to show up, kind of put a microphone in front of folks, and let them talk. And that's what I did, and the result was six interviews and a bunch of wonderful photos and exhibits that have gone up that we're so proud to say are a permanent part of the Springfield History Museum collection.

Mindy: 15:32

So to follow that up, what does it mean to you, Thomas and Ofelia, to illuminate history? Thomas, you can go ahead and take it first.

Thomas: 15:45

The reason for the project, as I'm told, was the reason for the name of the project, as I'm told, was that it was about lighting up the darkest time of the year. Um and the way that the History Museum in Springfield is set up, it's in such a great part of downtown. Um I think people could overlook it on their way to the meat market or to go do their painting and wine and all these other amenities that downtown offers. And this was a way to shine a light, literally, um, on these stories. So illuminating history to me is about recognizing simply that there were many biases in history. I grew up really appreciating Howard Zinn's book of People's History of the United States. That was my sort of high schooler um introduction to that concept where history is kind of written by the winners. And so when you're able to not only look back and say, What have we missed, but also be contemporary and look at those in our community and say, Why does your story not matter just as much as someone else's because of the color of your skin or your ethnic background? Um, so we're getting to shine a light on that. Um, and sometimes I gotta be honest with you, I don't know if I am the most qualified person to do such a thing. And then I have to step back and realize that I am, because if you're trying to do it, if your heart's in the right place, for me, I'm a half Japanese American person. Um this is a great opportunity for me to further my connection to these Asian leaders that do such good work but aren't always um spotlighted for and aren't always the first to try to bring attention to themselves because that might induce a negative perception that they're doing it for some kind of nefarious reason or to for their ego. So I loved hearing from these Asian folks and um illuminating whether it was their commitment to you know the church in Springfield, or and this was three or four years ago, so I'm looking back now on it too, you know, and uh and in the Asian business community or reflecting on parenthood and on building bridges between you know in-laws who maybe didn't see them as people because they're Asian. I'm thinking of Jody Willis. So um realizing that we're all you know qualified to tell our own stories, and my qualification was to allow people to simply do that, and it was a really beautiful experience.

Mindy: 18:26

Ofelia, what about you? What does it mean to illuminate history?

Ofelia: 18:32

What does it mean for me to illuminate history? Well, I realized that stories like mine, and like so many others in our community, weren't part of the history people talked about that weren't invisible. So when I think of illuminating history, I think about finally giving those stories the space they deserve, showing the faces, the families, the pride, and the sacrifices that built this community too. It's about saying, we've always been here and our stories matter just as much. That's what it means to me. Shining the light where it's long been missing. I was born in Mexico, and so were my parents, of course. When I came to the US as a teenager, I carried my culture, my language, and my roots with me, but slowly started disconnecting from it. Well, not anymore. Thank you both. Uh I'm not crying. My eyes are just super watery.

Kristen: 19:31

Maybe you're not, but my eyes, I am crying.

Mindy: 19:37

I've been just having worked on this project with so many people for like five years, crying on the job is at is just a hazard of the project. It just like your heart just like bursts open. You know, if you're open and ready to receive, you know all these truths, right?

Kristen: 19:58

Yeah. Perfect description, Mindy. And thank you both for your answers. Thomas and Ofelia. My heart is full. So Ofelia and Thomas, building on what we've talked about, what it means to illuminate history, I hope you can share with us and your list and our listeners what has been your experience in history museums, both perhaps from your youth uh growing up and now as an adult.

Thomas: 20:30

I can jump in really quick because I don't have a ton of ton to say on this. I think my experience with history museums pretty much just goes back to field trips as a kid. And that is maybe a bit of a shame because we have a great natural history museum in Eugene at UO. And when I travel, oftentimes I like to visit art museums. But I think that when I think of history museums, I mostly think of a bunch of kids go into the museum, and then usually there's like one or two really exciting exhibits or a couple really hands-on kind of interactive components to it. Or if it's a field trip, maybe the tour guide has a lot to say about a couple selections in particular that sort of dominate the space. And then maybe you have like some, forgive me for being frank, like some loner kid who's kind of looking at all the interesting, like peeling back like the binders and looking for the digging deeper. And so it kind of always felt like there's a few stories and artifacts that dominate the space, and then the rest you kind of forget about. That's been my experience.

Ofelia: 21:37

Okay, to be honest on this one, I don't recall visiting museums when I was a child. Well, not in Mexico. And when we first came here as a teenager, um I don't recall going to museums either. However, I did when I became a mother, even though I became a mother at a young age, I did take my kids uh to the museum, but I didn't really see myself or my family represented in history museums whenever we were visiting was the fun stuff, the uh the fossils, um, just to name something. Um the stories and faces that were shared in uh in museums didn't look like ours, and honestly made it hard to feel connected uh to those spaces as an adult. And as an older woman, a mother and grandmother, being part of the illumination project completely changed that for me. For the first time, I saw people like us and you know thankful to this project. Um, of course, immigrants, parents, workers, dreamers, being celebrated and included in a way that felt real and respectful. I now feel present and connected more than I ever have in our community. What's even more amazing is how much the project has grown since we started during the pandemic. Other communities saw what Mindy and the team were doing and wanted to be part of it. Now there are illumination exhibits representing not just Mexican American uh people, but also black and African American stories, Asian stories, American Indian, and Alaska Native experiences and more. Seeing that have seeing that happen makes me really proud. It shows that people are hungry for representation and connection, not just me, but our community. I think the impact of illumination goes far beyond the museum. It's helping entire communities feel seen, valued, recognized, uplifted, heard, and part of a community's history. And with that, children, teenagers, young mothers, or older mothers um will no longer feel alone and they will also be seen. Okay, I'm done.

Kristen: 24:24

Every single time you just you just get me right in the heart. Very powerful. Thank you. Um, Thomas, you want to fill follow that up with uh how like comparing your previous experience growing up with museums with how you see the community interacting with the Illumination Project and what you think about the impact of that?

Thomas: 24:51

Yeah, I think a lot of it comes down to when we've been able to share these stories with youth. We Mindy and Madeline McGraw, I know her as Maddie and being very formal here. Um they've been so committed to putting on events to cultivate this as a community of people that can now say they have a meaningful stake in what this museum and library are doing. So when we have these events, there's food, there's often music, there's you know a variety of age groups of people there. Um and so it's the exact antithesis to how I've thought of museums historically as I was saying, uh being kind of overwhelmingly telling certain stories or um that have a memorability and a significance to only a subset of the community. I am half white. I love my white neighbors just as much as my uh neighbors of any other race. So I love seeing people um recognize and sometimes be very sort of frank, like I'm not wanting them to feel bad, but it's really powerful when we see white community members realizing, oh my gosh, I didn't realize how much wasn't there about people who don't look like me. And, so having moments like that, um it's really significant. And um it's we're not patting ourselves on the back, we're moving forward with continuing this model. Um, and you heard from the numbers of what Mindy was saying how rapidly uh there's been some change to at least the almost complete lack of representation to now the significant and growing um community that is telling stories, and um, you know, we still sometimes see pushback, and I welcome the debate. I don't, you know, it's not always you know happy or fun, but there are people who think we should completely ignore uh any kind of racial lines and completely ignore any historical marginalization because if you ignore that, that's the best way to prevent from reifying it. And I don't agree with that position. And we can have that discussion and we see that play out on social media, and uh for the most part, I think people understand that no one's trying to erase white people. I have no interest in that at all. Um we're about sharing what this space and in this particular instance, Springfield, has meant to so many people because Springfield has been a home for diversity and it just hasn't always been celebrated or talked about.

Mindy: 27:42

I'm so glad you spoke about that, Thomas, because um the project um could be pigeon-holed as like an EDI project. I was just having this conversation this last week, but it's a project about it's a project about Springfield and rural East Lane County and all of Springfield and rural East Lane County. It's about including the representation of everyone. I mean, our population, we have over 60,000 people who live in the land we now call Springfield today. And each and every human being here has their own personal story and or story of their ancestors on how they came to be here and their relationship to this place and to each other and how they have helped to shape and been shaped by Springfield and really Lane County. You know, and so I just really appreciate you bringing that up.

Kristen: 28:46

Thank you. I'm going to ask you to follow up on that a little bit. Uh we often, when we work in libraries and museums, we talk about connecting with our communities and building trust. And in Ofelia and Thomas's answers to the last question, I think that trust building was alluded to. Uh and I would love for you to tell us a bit about how the museum works to build trust with communities and community members who have been historically excluded or misrepresented in museum narratives.

Mindy: 29:24

So as I share in the intro, my role for the Springfield Public Library and History Museum is community engagement. And the way so my role, the activity of engagement and outreach had existed and been shared among many staff before, but there hadn't been like a singular human to hold and develop a full-time role in that capacity. And so I had the I've had the opportunity to do that, which has been um the highlight of my entire career and life, both personally and professionally. Um and so it all comes down to relationships and trust building. And so um that's the foundation of everything. And valuing humans over institutions, holding space with people to listen and learn. I always say uh my goal is to constantly listen and learn to be and do better, both myself personally as a human in this community, as well as professionally, you know, on behalf of our institutions, which for me is both the Springfield Public Library and History Museum. And as I'm listening and learning and holding space with folks, it's also about finding opportunities for responsive action. And so, because the greatest way to really build relationships and trust and honor people is to set expectations and follow through when we can to demonstrate, you know, I hear what you're saying. And so for me, for instance, I have Illumination as one of the projects in my lane with the museum that I can offer and as an opportunity to see if that resonates with folks as something we might be able to work on together. And the other part is I um I curate and produce a nine-week outdoor multicultural series for the library each summer as part of our summer reading program. And so I'm able to hold both of those as opportunities to show that responsive action and to be able to show that follow-through for the community. And another highlight of that is also always being um humble. Like I, you know, like many others in my field, I have a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, and I have over, you know, I've been doing this work for over 20 years, so I have a lot of experience. But um but I am not an expert in your lived experience and what it's like to live in the skin that you're in in this community. Um sometimes I don't even I'm not even an expert in my own experience, you know, because that's ever changing, right? Um and evolving. And so I think it's just really important is to really be humble and have this open, like truly open mind and heart and to really lead with curiosity and also with accountability. I think um, you know, when we're talking about museums and libraries, they're extraordinary institutions with um tremendous capacity for good to hold space for, you know, stories and ideas and dialogue and creative expression. And it's really important to be accountable to and acknowledge the history of um exclusion and oppression and um and a history of actions that are that have often been, you know, performative or extractive or surface. And so I've really done everything I can to be um, I try to be a straight shooter and pretty transparent and open with folks about you know who I am and how I walk through the world and the skin I'm in, and then also about the history of museum and library institutions in general and the really true intention and values and mission that our unique institutions here in Springfield hold. And then related to that accountability too is uh my motto, fail forward. So, you know, no matter how much experience I have and you know how much positive intention that we put into the work we do, we're going to mess up, especially in this if we're doing this well and if we're doing this right, we're hopefully going to have the trust uh to take some big risks together. And with that is going to come like stumbles. And again, that goes back to that like always, you know, being open and curious to learn to be and do better. So just accept we're going to fail and we're going to fail together, but we're going to fail forward. You know, we're going to do better and always keep moving forward. Um, and then the last thing that I always try to hold and um and keep in mind is to keep showing up. You know, keep showing up in as many ways as possible because um these relationships, both personally and as institutions, it's important that we don't just engage and connect when we have a grant that says we should or we need to, or we have a program or project that that we need to seek out, you know, partners for. Like I really try to just show up and get to know people across a spectrum of identities in our community as much as possible and to and to um find multiple ways that either myself in the lanes that I, you know, like organize or manage, um, or those of my colleagues, like what are what are the ways we can show up together and work together in different ways or welcome each other, you know. So that's my long-winded spiel about trust.

Kristen: 35:41

Thank you, Mindy. I think um a lot of our listeners have thought about how we can show up and build trust and connect with our communities as we work for these public institutions.

Mindy: 35:54

Well, and so I'm going to turn that question around on Thomas and Ofelia. So I want to hear from you guys what does this trust building look like for project team members, you know, as members of the communities that are being centered?

Thomas: 36:14

I'm going to interpret this on a somewhat technical level because my role was to interview people and put a camera in front of them and put like a podcast mic close to their face. And that is inherently going to require them to like trust that you're coming from a from not just like a soundbite-y, you know, mainstream corporate news, like they're looking for a 10-second clip to roll at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Like this is about them actually getting to talk about what they want to talk about and not being steered with a direct agenda of any kind, you know, being patronizing and saying, oh, you know, like you were you're Asian, you must have the story about, you know, you went to high school lunch and kids said that your lunch smelled bad. Like I this was not a leading effort. We do have those stories, mind you, but like not trying to control what they're there to share. It's just simply to say that we value it. We're going to put resources behind it. Your voice matters. If you know and then things like if you if you didn't like what you said in that interview, maybe we can uh I don't even think I really did any edits. We just kind of would find a way to on the fly kind of address those things and um reveal the imperfect and also very authentic stories that people have about it's not always been easy in this community to be a API. So we're seeing that today. If you're looking at the news, um there's all these burglaries targeting the Asian community, and that introduces all these interesting questions about justice and who which taxpayers have access to that kind of justice and what should be done to intervene with uh crimes and what crimes are considered hate crimes. Like these are contemporary and evolving situations. And when you're trying to cover and go, you know, I appreciate that we're long form, you know. I could produce as a book the six interviews we did because each of them was transcribed into about a 15 to 20 page document. We went at length, and I thought that was a big part of building trust. So that's part of what trust looked like for me.

Ofelia: 38:34

Well, I'd say that for me, building trust starts with listening, and listening very well. When I photograph people from the community or anyone, I don't just show up with a camera, I show up as someone who understands their story. I take time to talk with them and help them feel comfortable and seen. Being part of the community myself makes a big difference too. People know I get it. I know that I know what it feels like to be left out or misrepresented. So I approach everyone with care and respect. For me, trust happens when people realize you're one of them and that you genuinely care about how their story is told.

Mindy: 39:22

I really appreciate the theme that both of you brought up, which I think is one of the main elements that makes this work and and this project of illumination um sadly unique, I'll say, because it just makes sense that people are this ought to be the stewards of their own stories. You know, that that museums ought to be a place where um or it is a place that works for the community, you know, or not just For the sorry, where museums are a place that work with the community, not for the community, right? You know, that that and I that's what I really appreciate about Illumination is, you know, we we built it from the beginning and and have continued to evolve and develop it entirely in response to the community. And it really flips the script on having the museum institutional lens or the expert historian, you know, and mostly, most often white historian or or museum professional lens telling other people's stories on how they are instead of flipping that script and putting the agency voice and decision making in the hands of the people, you know. Which I think that's the way for me, that's like the only way that I think museums, like speaking to what Thomas said earlier about his, you know, limited well, both of you like with your limited experience with history museums, the only way that these institutions of history are going to have value into the future is if they resonate with the community and if they reflect the community, right? So I just really appreciate you both in a in a variety of ways, but those those answers, you know, those things that, you know, tie back to sort of the heart and soul and intention behind the project, you know, really stood out for me in listening to your answers.

Kristen: 41:27

It's going back to that idea of having windows and mirrors. I think you mentioned that, Mindy. That's that's something that on the library side we've been talking about for a long time now, that our library collections, our our books should be windows and mirrors. And it's really important for the authors that we, you know, that we publish, um, and the stories that they tell and the characters that are in these books, that they are reflections of all the folks in our community and they tell that they tell all of the stories. Um, so it it goes hand in hand, you know, and to have that in museums too, to have the folks that are helping collect the stories and the folks that are telling the stories be all the people in our community and not just some. So I mean, we really saw again, just a little bit like for me, the analogy to libraries. Yeah, I started working in libraries almost 20 years ago, not quite. And you know, there's always been authors from different backgrounds, but really mainstream publishing in this country has been very white. And there is a movement, you know, a lot more and more people are speaking up, and there's a movement called We Need Diverse Books, really trying to highlight that fact that we need uh authors and stories and characters that are from all of our communities in the US. And it's it's uh ongoing work, you know, it's not like we've arrived, but it's really beautiful if you walk into the public library today and look at the children's collection today and compare that to what it looked like 20 years ago. Well, today there are so many more windows and mirrors out there because more people are telling the stories.

Mindy: 43:30

Well, and it's it's good for everybody. Yes every single person across identities to see and experience that. Yes. Well, and if on that note, if I can share a brief anecdote that you may choose to edit out later, but um on that note, so the other project I do for the summer programs, um our outdoor multicultural series, I get I got feedback one year when I um was uh presenting a um Moroccan and flamenco group that's centered in Portland, um, who performs uh in a variety of languages, but most notably in Arabic. And someone was like, Oh, that's really interesting and unique, but you know, it doesn't really, you know, reflect people here locally. And I was like, well, I'm not so sure about that. And so sure enough, when um Lamia, one of the two extraordinary performers of this uh amazing flamenco group, Sefarin, was uh presenting um in our afternoon program, because we had a public program in the morning at the library, and then I took them to a to a school-centered program that afternoon. Uh, she asked the audience, she said, Okay, you know, do we have any Native Arabic speakers, you know, in the room? And this is, you know, a an East Springfield uh group of about 120-ish students. And sure enough, four little hands shot into the air. And she went to each of those four children and she asked, she was like, What's a word that you love in your native language of Arabic that you'd like to share? And so each kiddo got to share a word in the language that's spoken in their home. And Lamia received it and she spoke it out to everyone, all those other fellow little kiddos and their educator grown-ups. And she taught them how to say it and she taught them what it meant. And then later in the program, one of the songs had a chorus that was more or less accessible to our very Western ears and articulators to be able to learn in Arabic. And so those four little kiddos that day got to sing with and hear and be surrounded by all of their fellow Springfield kiddos and educators singing in Arabic. And was that important for those four little kiddos? Heck yeah. And it was so important and meaningful for each and every one of those children in that room and each and every grown-up in that room who may have never met, engaged with, heard in person someone who speaks Arabic and who is of North African descent. And um and I just, you know, I carry that one with me as an example of something that is so very, very important about why we do what we do in libraries and museums, you know, related to this work and and and the themes that we're talking about today.

Kristen: 46:42

Absolutely. I'm really glad you shared that story, Mindy. I I just want to add, so I didn't get to go to the school, the summer school program that you did that afternoon, but I was there in the morning at the library out in front of City Hall. And she also asked the audience that was the mixed ages, because when we when we do it at the at the library at City Hall, it's definitely a multi-generational program. She asked if there were any native Arabic speakers in the audience. There were a handful of folks there as well, including this one retired gentleman who comes to the library every single day to use the computers and print. And you know, it's it's uh it's beautiful, I think, for uh just our community members to be able to be seen and be a part of that. And also for us, I had no idea that he spoke Arabic, you know, because he always talked to me because I didn't know. And I think like that's the thing, it's so when when there's a just one story that we tell about our community, that's the only story we see. But when we can tell the multiple stories, then we see that we have all of those stories amongst our neighbors and friends and co-workers, and you know, um thank you.

Thomas: 47:59

Can I add to that a little bit? Just um please this topic of language and I think of of differences in multiple languages. And I hear my sympathy for that feedback that Mindy gets in that is that person, a lot of times, people um who are not bilingual, they hear someone speaking in a different language and they feel uncomfortable, or they feel um that they might be at a disadvantage, or they and their kids might be at a disadvantage because they only speak English, which you live in America, you're m so much of the world is learning English so that they can have discourse with the English-speaking world. But if you already just have English, it's like, why would you learn a different a different language? I was lucky enough to grow up in Eugene Gakwen elementary school where all of my peers, most of them white, were learning Japanese and English. What a powerful experience to learn that you know an apple is not an apple, it's a ringo and an apple. It doesn't just have one word for it. So um I think it's really powerful. So I'm sympathetic to that, and what I want is a future where everybody has access to the education to learn as many languages as they freaking want. And so I think we would be a much more empowered world in that scenario, um, and it would be really meaningful. Um, so that's what I think of because I think you know that that person probably is thinking, you know, from a perspective of I can't really assume what they're thinking. We should probably cut that out. I I think I was finished talking there, but I had a point and they went in all sorts of different directions. I just think language is really powerful, and um it's just that example of it is enriching our community when more languages are exposed to people. Maybe a child would want to learn Arabic at that age, and what if we had a school system that could empower that? Then it's not a threat at all. It's a powerful source of potential for greater discourse, and that's what we need.

Kristen: 49:54

Here, here. Thank you. It it is really wonderful to see all the places that question to us. Um I think maybe building on that, and and this is a question for Thomas and Ofelia, and and Thomas, you you with your answer, you kind of started alluding to this. Um, what you would love to see in our education system. But what would you like to see from our museums and perhaps libraries or other cultural and educational institutions when it comes to connecting with and offering points of engagement with all of the people in our communities and especially with those who haven't historically seen themselves reflected in the stories that the larger society tells? And Thomas, you gave us such a great segue. So if you'd like to continue.

Thomas: 50:46

Yeah, I haven't thought too much about that beforehand. Um give me like two seconds and then I will. I just think that museums are these physical monuments in cities that when you have all these resources directed at it, everybody in the community, every community member should have some say in how those resources are allocated because much of the time it's through some public funds or arts and cultural grants. So just trying to um bridge that gap between, you know, I go to city council meetings, I'm sort of a politician. I was elected to the school board, and in 2020 I was the runner-up in a seven-field, uh, seven-candidate field for mayor of Eugene. I was 26 years old. I was homeless during much of my campaign. I was angry at the city, and I ran for mayor and I came in second. And um that's not particularly relevant, but I just think that that exposed me to you go to a council meeting, a county board of commissioners meeting, and these people that show up would not want to feel that they're all um a monolithic group. But from the outside looking in, you do see so much of people that come from a similar walk of life, similar age group, similar income background, many of them the same racial identity. And those are the people making decisions about what gets allocated. And even if it is, you know, good intent behind, you know, a diversity initiative, you know, there's a lot of ways that illumination has inspired me, is it it does such grassroots work to like talk to me like I'm some guy who's going to be able to help out or some some random person in the community and be like, yeah, you matter, come check this out, or come collaborate on this. So, you know, it sounds very cliche, but it's really just about reducing this paradigm where only certain people get to participate. Everybody should get to participate.

Kristen: 52:44

Thank you, Thomas. Ofelia, what would you like to see from our museums or libraries and other cultural and educational institutions when it comes to connecting with and offering points of engagement with all the people in our community?

Ofelia: 52:59

I'd love to see more museums and libraries and other cultural institutions actively creating spaces where everyone feels they belong, not just here in Springfield, not just for visitors, but as participants and contributors. That means truly listening to the community, involving people in how stories are told, and reflecting the diversary that already exists in our neighborhoods. For communities who haven't historically seen themselves represented, it's so important that their stories aren't just included as an afterthought. They need to be centered, uh celebrated, and preserved in ways that feel authentic and respectful. Engagement could look like collaborative projects, workshops, story collecting initiatives, or exhibits that invite community members to shape what's displayed, similar or the same as illumination. It's about creating trust, visibility, and connection, and lay letting people see themselves in the history, culture, and knowledge that these institutions share. Ultimately, it's about showing that everyone's story matters and that these spaces exist not just to document the past, but to honor the people who make the community what it is today.

Mindy: 54:27

Well, and something something you said, Ofelia, is something that um has been a theme that continues to come up with every collection in the conversations I have with the story teams, which is history is now. History is a is a a living, breathing, you know, um presence. You know, we're making history today. And and that's part of why this project, you know, uh combines both the the reflective historical context of these communities within Springfield and really Slane County, but also combines those contemporary oral histories and stories and photographs because you know, we shouldn't it's not about, you know, the the the history museum people visit tomorrow can't just be about things that happened a hundred two hundred or more years ago, but it's about the people here today, you know, and then their descendants and community members and how and how that informs the journey of our community and where it's going, you know. So that is a good segue for um the next question, which is Ophetti and Thomas. What do you both hope people will take away from exploring illumination from whatever collection? What do you hope they carry it with them?

Ofelia: 56:01

I hope people leave an illumination exhibit seeing our community as wonderful human beings, nothing else. Right now we're facing challenges like discrimination, racism, and deportation. Not that it hasn't been happening but, it seems very extreme right now. Too many families are being ripped apart. So it's more important than ever for our stories to be seen and valued. Seeing our lives, families, and our experiences remind everyone that we matter and that our history is part of the bigger story of Springfield.

Thomas: 56:39

For me, I think pretty simply I want oral histories to be understood as meaningful and valid. You know, uh there's such a long legacy of that that in this digital modern age we have fallen into the trap of wanting to discredit or devalue those oral histories, and I think that's silly. I also think that we're lured into wanting to subtract and take things away sometimes. You see the book banning movement, you see concerned parents who have genuine concerns about what their kids are exposed to, and they think that the answer is to take books away. I think that the Illumination Project is an example of adding in a fuller picture and not about subtracting things that we don't like. I think that that we're going to get a lot farther if uh we stand up to the challenges from federal government or whoever it may be that want to take away our right to talk about certain things in the classroom or our right to tell the stories that are the full totality of history. And uh, if you just kind of have a happy warrior attitude, not everybody's going to be a happy person. I don't want to uh I don't want to pigeonhole us because I'm kind of an optimistic, happy-go-lucky guy. There's also room for like the hardened, cynical warriors in this. And um, I just think it's great to show the world that we can do more to add a fuller picture and we can do it in a loving way that doesn't make people um assume that we're a threat because Ofelia and I both have have come from communities that have been targeted by the government to this day. Um for the Japanese community, there was a really significant uh example of that about 70, 80 years ago, and uh that's pretty recent still. So um this is how we're going to humanize our community is to add more our stories in, and that's going to make Asian people want to go to the museum more, and they're ultimately going to learn more about everything that's already there, much of which is really powerful and beautiful, and it's being stewarded very well by Mindy and Maddie. So um that's what I hope.

Mindy: 58:46

Well, I think something that comes up for me there that has been another one of those takeaways from this project is that um particularly working with oral histories, like it is stories and experiences that are experienced by, told by, felt by, you know, humans. And that's it's a truth that's being told from one person, you know, from their perspective and the skin they're in at that moment in time and what their experience and observations were firsthand, right? But what I've learned from holding space with and receiving so many stories through this project over the years is that there isn't just one telling. There isn't a history or the history of Springfield, you know, it's the sum of our people and our humans and all those different human experiences and interactions. And I think that's an important reminder for you know history in the grander sense, right? Because it's all just human experiences. And so I think that takes us to This next question, which I'm curious, because I I grew up in and live in and raising my family in Eugene, but I have the opportunity to have been to help shape and been shaped by Springfield by being by having the pleasure of working for the Library and History Museum in this project. And I know that I have, you know, profound, um, profound impacts for me personally for that. But I'm interested for you, Thomas, and you, Ofelia, how has your involvement in this project impacted your connection to Springfield and Lane County? Thomas, do you want to take it first?

Thomas: 1:00:46

Just think I've been exposed to a community like Springfield, there's not always that much public infrastructure. We have great, you know, Willamalane parks and you know, but we don't always have these opportunities to learn about what people have going on in their communities because their communities might be tucked away in different parts of town or they're doing a lot of this work from their own homes. So you don't really centrally convene in this modern world as much. And so I got to just learn. And so now when I drive around Springfield or bicycle around Springfield, I think about all the houses and all the stories that are in those houses. It's very corny, but it's I literally do that because if people are here, they tend to be awesome people, they tend to be here for a reason. They love that you could have lived so in so many places around the world and country and even the state of Oregon. And for you to live in Springfield, I think it tends to just attract these really hardy, wonderful, community-minded people. And I understand so much more about those people because of participating in this. So I'm really grateful that Mindy tapped me for it. And it continues to be a powerful thing to see it year by year um continue to grow. So that's been amazing. And that's that maps right on to the Springfield story of continuing to be a place that uh isn't just overlooked by its big sister, big brother uh neighbor of Eugene, but it's a place that that stands fully on its own uh principles and does its own thing as well.

Mindy: 1:02:24

How about you, Ofelia? How is involvement in Illumination um impacted your connection to Springfield? Because I know you do live here, you're an entrepreneur here, and you raise your family here.

Ofelia: 1:02:37

Being part of Illumination has made me feel truly at home in Springfield. I moved to Springfield in 2011 and I came from Compton, California. Very different environment. And it took me a long time to realize how big the Latino community is. But also, I realized that there were so much separation, and like Thomas mentioned, it's almost like they were tucked in in their homes. They were tucked in somewhere, but not out that they were not specifically seen out in the community in events. Uh, matter of fact, I was very unfamiliar with any type of events in the city of Springfield. It's being part of the Illumination project, it's given me a sense of belonging and connection that I didn't feel that I didn't feel before. Already said that. Honestly, it's hard to explain. Uh, because in the past I often did feel disconnected, uh, almost like a lost soul that didn't know which direction I was heading. Uh, even as far as my career, you know, I don't feel or I didn't want to feel like I was just a photographer, like another mom interpreter with a camera. Wanted to be part of something big, but I couldn't pinpoint what I wanted to be a part of. So being part of Illumination um is pretty much opened my eyes and brought me to a realization that I am now part of something or a project that is becoming so big in so little time. Um, working on this project and sharing our community stories had made me feel grounded and proud. And it matters to me that my kids and my grandkids grow up in a city that values its people, that they see the importance of community and that they can be proud. They can be proud of their mom and grandma too. Um, because I am proud of myself. I am part of myself. That's it. That's all I got.

Kristen: 1:05:20

You have a lot. I just feel overjoyed and really honored that I've been able to be here as a part of the conversation and been able to listen and learn more about this really important project. I also live in Springfield and I'm raising three kids here. And this project has just been amazing to see grow. And it makes me proud to be in Springfield as well. Um, both Thomas and Ofelia, you talked about how it really connects to what it means to be in Springfield for all of us here. Uh, and that we are a community of folks who really value connections and family, and we value you know working together for something good. Just thank you so much. Uh it's been such a great conversation. And I have one last question for all of you, if you uh would like to answer it. Um, so this is from Mindy, Opodia, and Thomas. Um, if history is remembered by those who tell it, who do you want telling Springfield's history next?

Thomas: 1:06:44

Anyone who's worked in the service industry. That's it. Particularly restaurants. That's just my bias.

Kristen: 1:06:50

There's a lot of good stories there.

Mindy: 1:06:52

Well, and I'll tag on to that. I want I like that the question says, who do you want telling Springfield's history next? Because there's going to be a next and a next and a next. And that's the thing, that it's not just one person or one perspective telling the story, but that anyone and everyone who's who is interested can step up and tell their story. And there's a lot of underrepresented stories, you know, in the Springfield History Museum collection currently. There are some extraordinary stories, you know, and a an amazingly rich collection that does exist. And it just makes it richer the more we know and the more perspectives we welcome in, you know. So yes, and what about you, Ofelia?

Ofelia: 1:07:41

I would love teenagers. Um, since the Illumination exhibits have been uh presented in schools, um, I think teenagers will be amazing because uh, for example, the children, they're already seeing the exhibits. Oh my gosh. I completely drew a blank, I thought I had it. But um, I don't want to make it you know too personal where I say, you know, I would love for my children to share stories in my grandchildren, but I think just overall the younger generation will be amazing. Um, I just want Springfield's history told by the people who live it, the families and neighbors, and communities who are often left out when those voices are front and center history becomes real, inclusive, and meaningful. Everyone deserves to be seen and remembered. Um almost want to say that also I think we need more elderly people telling their stories. And I did not select the people that participated in the previous exhibits, but in the future, and I will love to select have the opportunity to select the people I would like to share for them to share the stories. Um, the reason behind because I have worked with so many families as a photographer that there are many families that share little bits and pieces of their stories with me as I am working with them. And it would only be amazing for some of these stories to also be shared with other people, not just with me, because what has been shared with me is just stays with me. And um that's all I have.

Mindy: 1:09:56

So I was just having a conversation last week with members of our Illumination Advisory Committee who represent all of the four collections. And one of the things we talked about was um that oral histories are often centered around capturing the stories of elders before they pass and we lose their stories forever. And while that is true, it is also true, like what you said, Ofelia, uh to capture stories at every step on our path and our journey, whether it's relative to age or relative to where we're at professionally, you know, in our career trajectory, because those stories we also are in danger of losing. Because, you know, as life evolves, uh, so does our perspective. It changes, right? And so Black and African American collection and their team for illumination was the first to capture the story of a then in 2023, a 16-year-old young black woman growing up here in Springfield. And it was just so powerful to have that young person's perspective of um being a young black woman growing up in Springfield and capturing what that is like at this moment in time. You know, we'll never capture that again, you know, and that that's really significant. And something specifically, the young woman's name is Natalia Caird, extraordinary young woman. Strongly recommend you get online and listen to her story. But I'll just share with you one of the highlights from her story. She shared her perspective that that she speaks about how her generation doesn't want a life that's just comparatively less oppressive than those who came before. But that they want greatness. And I think that really also illustrates I've you know heard a lot of folks talk about this, that it really illustrates that that distinction between the difference of experience, you know, intergenerationally, and those who came before being so like thankful or celebrating the wins from such a long, hard, endless, you know, tiring fight. And it's important to remember that our young people coming up don't have those decades of that fight. They may be aware of it, but for them, they're young in this moment right now. And they're like, yeah, but we don't want to just be grateful for the scraps that were offered. Like, we want it all. And, you know, as a mom of a kiddo, you know, a young tween, you know, she wants the same thing. I want the same thing for my kids. I think that's, you know, something that connects us all, is we all want that greatness for everybody, you know. And so hopefully this project does a little something to plant that seed to help that happen.

Ofelia: 1:12:56

May I add something? Because um, and this this is just um a kind of like a side note, and it's something really important. Um, along the way, I've met so many wonderful people. I'm not very great with names. Um I've you know, I've met other photographers, storytellers, illuminated participants, and more people along the way. And that's been such a meaningful part of the experience. It's amazing to see how this project is really making an impact, touching lives, building connections, and continuing to grow in ways none of us could have ever imagined. I couldn't have. And this doesn't have to go on there, but when we um when the first exhibit when we worked on the first exhibit, I honestly thought that that was just going to be that one time, the end of it, and that was it. I did not expect it to grow as big as it has grown. And it has been by a lot, Mindy. Of course, thank you thanks to everybody that has participated and has worked the has shared um the exhibits, whether it's on social media, talking to friends, um talking to anyone in, you know, in general. Um and you know, going back, like wow. Freezing my toes on the first night was actually totally worth it. Um that that night I you know remember partially that there was not a lot of people. I remember that there was, what do we have? Was that hot chocolate? Um, hot chocolate, and I believe we had tamales. And tamales. Uh-huh. We had tamales. It was very, very cold. And um I didn't think that there was going to be as many people as there was because of the pandemic. And it was also cold and it was dark. Um, but again, um, you know, as many times as Mindy started approaching me more and more, now we have uh interviews and one thing and then another, I was like, wait a minute, I thought that was it. I think I've been mentioned to somebody. I'm like, I really thought that was done. And apparently I'm not once you're here. So thank you, Mindy, for everything that you've done. Uh it's pretty impressive to me how far we've come. And I say we because it is all of us.

Mindy: 1:15:37

It is all of us. Well, and for anyone who's listening who is representing a museum, a library, or a cultural institution. Um, it goes back to that that answer, my answer to the trust building thing. Always, you know, listening, learning, you know, to listening to and learning from your constituents, and always find a way to say yes and take action. Because that's the way this happened and that's the way it continues to happen. And guess what? It's really not that hard. It's scalable and it's adaptable in any community, in any institution to approach, you know, life and work and relationship in this way. And, you know, we do it together. So thank you and you all. It wouldn't have been possible without you two. The first two chapters set the tone and the foundation, you know, that this built from. Yeah. And it's growing toward the next episode where we'll hear reps from the next communities and how it's continued to evolve and what's next.

Ofelia: 1:16:43

Well, there's a lot of ideas for the next and the next and the next, but now it's um on the meeting that we had recently, there was just, you know, those ideas that just popped up out loud. Um, Mindy, um, the fact that I talked about the communities from Oaxaca itself, the state of Oaxaca. Yes, there are Mexican also, but the state of Oaxaca itself, they have like such a huge community and a strong connection among themselves, um, that I almost feel like they need an illumination, just them alone, because there's so much to um to talk about, just with them, but there's also uh the Guatemalan community and Peruvians as well. I need to do a little more homework and see where I know Guatemalan community are mostly seem to be in cottage grove, but I need to do a little more homework on that. And then um I have a couple of clients that are Peruvian, and I need to talk to them, you know, a little more because it will be amazing to get them, you know, also all together at some point somehow.

Kristen: 1:18:09

Well, you know, yeah, from working at the public library, um, you know, I have I have the privilege of getting to meet folks from all over, right? And so I know we have quite a few folks from Central America as well. And um we have folks from Venezuela, and I mean it's amazing once you just start talking to people and you hear different accents and Ecuadorian, oh my gosh, it's a lot.

Ofelia: 1:18:38

I mean, think about it, it's so much so I don't know how we could even potentially do that, maybe get a little bit of each, a little bit of each to share and um give them um a full exhibit, illuminate them, I should say, illuminate them. Um, because it will be you know really interesting also to see how many more communities we can get together. And um there's a lot of similarities in each community, yet they're different, anyways.

Thomas: 1:19:12

Sounds like uh people need to subscribe to the Overdue podcast right now. Got some great episodes coming out in the future. Joe Rogan is going to be just fine. So if you think you're thinking about it, you need to subscribe to this podcast, and no one's telling me to say that. I know that that was kind of an interjection. I'm sorry, Ofelia, but no, you're right. I was feeling it.

Kristen: 1:19:32

That was great.

Thomas: 1:19:33

Who else is doing this work?

Kristen: 1:19:36

Well, gosh, thank you all so much. I don't know if there's a last thought. We've I I feel like you have a lot of material. Yeah, we could we could start a pot of tea and just continue through this this cloudy afternoon.

Speaker 2: 1:19:50

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the State Library of Oregon. This project has been possible in part by the Institute of Services of Museums and Bibliotecas at the Ley de Services de Biblioteca y Tecnología, LSTA, administrada por la Biblioteca del Stado de Oregon.

Speaker 1: 1:20:16

We would like to take time to acknowledge historical injustices. We recognize Oregon was established as a white sanctuary state with the intent to exclude African American and black people on ancestral lands stolen from dispossessed indigenous peoples. We recognize and honor the members of federally recognized tribes and unrecognized tribes of Oregon. We honor Native American ancestors, past, present, and future, whose land we still occupy. This acknowledgement aims to deconstruct false histories, correct the historical record, and disrupt genocidal practices by refocusing attention to the original people of the land we inhabit, the slave trade and forced labor that built this country, and to the oppressive social systems interwoven into the fabric of our national and regional heritage. We ask that you take a moment to acknowledge and reflect as well.