On the Pala Reservation, Indigenous Wisdom Unifies Ethnic Media
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
By SweSwe Aye
Amid the rolling hills of North County, a recent gathering signaled a shift in how ethnic and Indigenous stories are told in the Southwest.
Rose Davis, founder of Indian Voices, listens as Eric Ortega highlights physical and communications challenges for Pala reservation residents at a January 27 gathering hosted by Indian Voices and Rez Radio. (Photo by SweSwe Aye)
SAN DIEGO — Amid the rolling hills of North County, a recent gathering signaled a shift in how ethnic and Indigenous stories are told in the Southwest.
The January 27 event—titled “Indigenous Wisdom Through Media Heals Humanity and Turtle Island,” held on the Pala Reservation in northern San Diego County and hosted by Native American newspaper Indian Voices and Rez Radio (Pala 91.3 FM)—brought together more than 30 journalists, artists and social activists.
Representing Indigenous, Black, Asian and Latino communities from Southern California and Las Vegas, these storytellers gathered at the Pala Rey Youth Camp to share their challenges in building a unified coalition for groups often overlooked by mainstream media.
The location was apt, as San Diego County holds the nation’s highest concentration of federally recognized tribal nations—18 in total.
The gathering was conceived and organized by Rose Davis, founder of Indian Voices. Davis, whose heritage includes South Asian Indian, Black Caribbean and Seminole, told attendees that the Pala Reservation sits at the intersection of labor, housing and border issues that affect all marginalized communities in America.
Rez Radio serves as a vital “sovereign voice” case study; its role as a tribal-owned broadcast station offers a successful blueprint for other ethnic and community media outlets seeking to own their own infrastructure.
The radio station also plays a critical role in providing emergency alerts across San Diego’s reservations—a life-saving service as California faces increasing catastrophes from wildfires, rainstorms, earthquakes, and mudslides.
Eric Ortega, a member of the Pala Band of Mission Indians and operations assistant at Rez Radio, spoke of the event venue’s history as a hub for local youth—a place for community wellness, traditional bird singing and health programs addressing critical issues in Native American communities, like diabetes.
Gerardo Cota shares his immigration story at the gathering. (Photo by SweSwe Aye)
However, the reservation faces many hurdles.
Ortega highlighted the physical challenges of land restoration, noting that heavy equipment is barred to protect groundwater from leaks, requiring invasive grass to be removed by hand.
More pressingly, he addressed the tension between modern regulations and cultural heritage.
“Customs and traditions always supersede our laws,” Ortega noted, adding that while some methods may not follow the “letter of the law,” they follow the “right way” established by ancestors.
This challenge for San Diego’s reservations also resonates deeply with ethnic minority communities such as the Hmong and Burmese, as many Burmese refugees in San Diego, including the Karen and Chin indigenous communities, possess distinct indigenous identities and political struggles that mirror the Native American experiences of exile and sovereignty. Often residing as neighbors with Native Americans, these survivors of “secret wars” and forced displacement carry the weight of generational trauma.
Melissa Pasadena, a Cheyenne tribe member.
San Diego’s ethnic communities—and even Native Americans—also face a modern crisis of being targeted by immigration enforcement, said Ortega, explaining that this climate of surveillance creates a significant “trust gap,” leaving journalists with the challenge of building enough security for their sources so that families feel safe sharing their stories without the fear of federal targeting.
The gathering provided a platform for harrowing stories of displacement.
Gerardo Cota, a Kumeyaay citizen born in Tecate, Mexico, shared how he was deported 13 years ago despite his ties to the Kumeyaay Nation. The human cost is evident in Cota’s health; he was left without medical access on the Mexican side despite requiring specialized care for a stroke suffered at age fourteen.
“This is supposed to be a land of love and unity,” Cota said.
Melissa Pasadena, a Cheyenne tribe member, echoed this, noting that in a “melting pot” like the U.S., borders should not prevent peaceful coexistence.
Rose Davis at the event, which brought together more than 30 journalists, artists and social activists.
She added that these struggles are felt in both critical and mundane moments, from crossing borders to buying groceries, making cultural sensitivity more vital than ever.
Pasadena said that Native Americans face a pervasive “hidden hurdle” of discrimination based on appearance and being reduced to “numbers” by bureaucratic systems. She explained that tribal governments struggle with limited resources while managing their own governance, fighting for essential services like clean water and healthcare.
She also highlighted the urgent need for better support systems to address community crises, including crime and drug addiction prevention for tribal youth.
Julian Do, co-director of American Community Media, said that while individual groups might seem small, the combined ethnic populations constitute the majority in California.
By adopting a “horizontal” way of thinking—expanding outreach across multicultural audiences—these outlets can amplify news to millions, he explained, adding that this collective reach is essential for fostering audience growth and attracting sustainable funding through social messaging campaigns.
“If this sector dies, who’s going to be a watchdog and keep the government honest?” Do asked. He emphasized that the definition of public service must be expanded to include these vital community voices.
Susan Santos of Filipino Press noted that the event fostered a shared vision for collaboration: “We can share resources and expand information… Everyone has their own balance and skills.”
Rose Davis provided a final, powerful vision of unity, referencing a quote by Osceola, the historical leader of the Seminoles: “I do feel that there’s a brighter future for us if we unify and bring all the fingers into one fist, so that we can exercise our indigenous intelligence against the artificial intelligence which dominates us.”
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1 COMMENT
Sandy Close Feb 10, 2026 At 6:20 am
Swe Swe Aye did a great job reporting on this historic coalition of reporters and story tellers to celebrate their common ground with indigenous cultures. Congrats to Rose Davis, veteran publisher of Indian Voices. for her vision.
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