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For her school project on the Indigenous Tongva people, Marissa Aranda sought guidance from her great-grandmother. She asked her nana: How does it feel to be a Tongva woman?
“I feel invisible,” Julia Bogany responded.
Without missing a beat, Marissa told her nana she felt the same.
For years, Bogany traveled California, using arts and crafts as an entry point to teach children about her tribe. She was constantly teaching, and answering the same questions.
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But it wasn’t enough. The exchange with her granddaughter crystalized her life’s mission. She would break free from the chains of invisibility for the sake of her family and future generations. She assured Marissa that she
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