Camryn Varni is a third-year student at the University of Washington majoring in Sociology with a minor in Spanish. She is an active member of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. Camryn is passionate about giving a voice to those who don’t feel heard and advocating for others. I sat down with her to discuss her experience as a member of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County and how she works to provide support to underrepresented communities. Camryn would like to emphasize that she does not intend to speak for her Tribe or its members, and is only providing her personal opinion and experience.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I am a member of the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. Readers can learn more about our history and efforts to preserve our land and traditions at our website. Because we are a Non-Profit organization, I have recently been working with council members to create grant proposals. As a student at the University of Washington, I have enjoyed spreading the word about my Tribe’s history and language through giving educational presentations to on-campus organizations.
“The Esselen Tribe of Monterey County is also registered as a Non-Profit Organization and was founded with the goal of continuing cultural traditions and preserving the cultural heritage of the historic tribes that are located within Monterey County, along with protecting and preserving the recognized and unrecognized sacred lands and archeological sites.”
– esselentribe.org
What did it feel like reuniting with your tribe on your ancestral homeland?
The last time our people had been on the land was when they were forced off of it. After decades of fighting with policies and laws just to get a seat at the table, my Tribe finally raised enough awareness and funds to buy back the title to a portion of our ancestral land. Although we consider ourselves stewards rather than owners of our land, it was still so impactful to have the rights returned to us. There is no greater feeling in the world than standing on the land, overlooking the same mountains our ancestors did before us. That moment of stepping foot in a place of instant belonging is a feeling I hope everyone can experience. That’s what it felt like- it felt like I found home. To be a part of something like that… there’s just no words for it.
What drove your passion for helping others?
I’ve always wanted to be an advocate. Being a part of the process of getting my Tribe’s land back made me realize how many obstacles had been created to prevent us from returning to it. We were cut off and there was no one to advocate for us; we had to do everything ourselves. Seeing everyone fight so hard to get even a simple meeting to discuss the process of getting our land back was heartbreaking. Funding was a major roadblock for us in the process, which was especially difficult to grapple with because the land was stolen from us in the first place.
“It’s hard to advocate for yourself when people don’t think you deserve a voice.”
– Camryn Varni
What do you hope readers take away from this interview?
By learning about each others’ cultures, we can support the revitalization of culture and share traditions. My Tribe’s culture was dying for a long time, and we still fight everyday to maintain our language and traditions. Sharing culture provokes interest and passion to do more to fight injustice. Truly, individuals can take action in any form. There’s always ways to help the communities around you; getting a petition signed, picking up garbage on the ground… Trying to do something for the betterment of the community- in any shape or form. That’s the most important thing- the actual act of doing something. My most important goal is to actually do something about injustices I see in the world. It just took one person to initiate the process of trying to get my Tribe’s land back, and suddenly a movement was born.