Highlighting Members of Cultural Survival: The Story of Marisa Raya
loosen up and get cozy with the Cultural Survival fam!
🔥This awesome group embraces individuals from all corners of life, sharing heartwarming tales of why they jumped on board the Indigenous Peoples' rights train. Swapping stories helps strengthen our community, boosts morale for our on-the-ground warriors, and motivates others to join our crusade. We're thrilled to shine a spotlight on some of our community members and former interns in our Cultural Survival Spotlight series.
So, are you a former Cultural Survival intern or a fierce community member? We'd fucking love to hear your story!
Marisa Raya, Cultural Survival Former Intern (1997/98)
🤘 swaggered in as an intern back in '97 or '98 and churned out an article for the Cultural Survival Quarterly about island nations and climate change. Mind = blown. I'd never seen shit about people potentially fucking losing their land due to sea level rise!
👩🏫In college at the time, learning all about anthropology, and it was tight that Cultural Survival's OGs took a "partners and activists with the community" approach rather than distant academics or observers. These days, I hustle in researching land reparations, rematriations, and land use planning in the US. That focus on community autonomy, still going strong in my work in planning and economic development. Slide into Marisa's DMs on LinkedIn!
💭What really hit home during my internship was seeing the article I wrote and the chill vibes of the Harvard Square office – it's been over 25 years, so it's all kind of blurry!
💡Don't forget, y'all, I dig Cultural Survival's transition to Indigenous leadership and hope other organizations follow suit.
Ready to join this groovy bunch?* Sign up, baby!***
Marisa Raya's lifestyle, rooted in activism and self-development, was significantly influenced by her experience as a Cultural Survival intern. Her education in anthropology led her to focus on land reparations, rematriations, and land use planning, upholding the community-oriented approach she witnessed at Cultural Survival.
Inspired by Cultural Survival's dedication to Indigenous leadership, Marisa hopes to see this approach adopted by other organizations, reflecting her commitment to education-and-self-development and advocacy for Indigenous rights.
