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yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini, Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region
Cal Poly acknowledges that the land on which its campus sits carries the heritage and culture of the Indigenous People of San Luis Obispo County, yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini, Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region.
About yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Tribe
The Name
The Tribe ask that the first time it is used, their name is spelled out in its entirety—yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini, Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region—and after, the abbreviation ytt Tribe is appropriate to use. The “y” is not capitalized since they don’t have capital letters in tiłhini. Ensure the “T” in Tribe is capitalized (this is good practice for any scenario referencing specific tribes). A “the” should not precede ytt Tribe since “yak” means “the”.
tiłhini is its own language, not a dialect. tiłhini is also the name for their language, as well as the place name for today's San Luis Obispo
Tribe Name Pronunciation
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Hear pronunciations via the Cal Poly Now App
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Video: Hear Pronunciations, modern locations and meanings
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Video: An in-depth look at the pronunciations
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Alphabet (PDF): learn the tiłhini letters and how to say them
Fast Facts
- Tribes are political groups: Tribes are, governments, Tribes are not racial or ethnic groups.
- Working with a Tribe is like working with a foreign government—respect, demonstrating the appropriate authority, and title are important (see first sentence). Just as we wouldn't have a student reach out to the leader of another country's government, we shouldn't have students reaching out to ytt Tribal Leader. It is important that Department chairs and faculty members make the enduring relationships themselves.
- Relationship is key to all Tribal matters.
- Let the Tribe lead: in SLO this means to involve ytt Tribe as partners in the “fun stuff.” They've shared it can feel transactional or possibly exploitive when knowledge exchanges are not grounded in relationship and abruptly end after they share knowledge/perspective. This is a good idea when working with different Tribes throughout your career: ask the Tribes what they want to be engaged in and where they want to lead.
- Validate Indigenous knowledge as legitimate scientific knowledge. Too often people divorce the two.
Land Acknowledgement
Cal Poly sits on the traditional lands of yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region. yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini have a documented presence in this area for over 10,000 years. The tiłhini peoples have stewarded their ancestral and unceded homelands which include all of the cities, communities, federal and state open spaces within the San Luis Obispo County region. These homelands extend East into the Carrizo Plains toward Kern County, South to the Santa Maria River, North to Ragged Point, and West beyond the ocean’s shoreline in an unbroken chain of lineage, kinship, and culture.
Land acknowledgements alone are an incomplete act of true support and must involve ongoing and consistent support to Indigenous communities. Action might include spending time learning about Indigenous communities (from Indigenous people directly!), supporting Indigenous creatives and business owners, removing harmful stereotypes from your speech, supporting with your time or financially, and more. yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash tribe has information on how to support.
Land acknowledgments are to be given by the host, non-Tribal members and are appropriate when:
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Doing a land-based project/discussion
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Meeting with a large group
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Meeting with new people
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Source: Cultivating Connections: Integrating Indigenous Perspectives into Sustainability Curricula workshop May 2024 by Becca Lucas Thomas, yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini, Northern Chumash Tribal Member.
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The yakʔitʸutʸu Residential Community
Cal Poly Housing Project Information
Educational Resources
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Village Narratives written by yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini, Northern Chumash Tribe
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Indigenous Walking Tour of Cal Poly, written by Amy Contreras, Sophie Martyrossian, Becca Lucas, M.S., M.A., Lydia Heberling, Ph.D. (2024)
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Learn the story behind the "Rooted in Native Knowledge" mural, which now permanently resides in yakʔitʸutʸu Native & Indigenous Cultural Center on campus.
Contact and Attribution
Working with ytt Tribe
- Direct all inquiries and requests for partnerships with ytt Tribe using the Tribe's contact form.
