Monterey Bay is the ancestral homelands of the Amah Mutsun, Awaswas, Chalone, Coastanoan, Esselen, Oholone, Rumsen, Salinan, and Tamien people. We recognize they have stewarded the land in this region since time immemorial, have deep knowledge systems associated with the use of fire on the landscape, and are active stewards of the land today. AFE respectfully recognizes traditional ecological knowledge as science and the critical importance of cultural data sovereignty (see AFE’s TEK statement). We are happy to be collaborating with local tribes to integrate cultural knowledge and traditions into this event.