Emily Burgueno

Emily Burgueno is an enrolled citizen of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, which is one of twelve federally recognized Kumeyaay Bands in Southern California (with 6 Kumiai Villages located in Baja CA Mexico as the U.S. border crossed Kumeyaay homelands). Ms. Burgueno is rooted in Kumeyaay life ways and implements Kumeyaay philosophy in daily work and community commitments, relationship building, and humility. One of her many goals is to uplift rematriation throughout the Kumeyaay Nation. "Rematriation" can be defined as: "to restore a living culture to its rightful place with the land, specifically through Indigenous women leadership" or "Rematriation is Indigenouse women-led work to restore sacred relationships between Indigenous people and our ancestral land, honoring our matrilineal societies, and in opposition of toxic patriarchal violence and dynamics". As a concept, rematriation acknowledges that our ancestors lived in spiritual relationship with our homelands since time immemorial, and that we have a sacred duty to maintain that relationship for the benefit of our future generations. From learning and teaching, Ms. Burgueno knows the importance of the kinship we develop within our spirit, community, and ecosystems/natural world. 

As the first Chairwoman for Kumeyaay Diegueno Land Conservancy (established 20 years ago), Ms. Burgueno aims to continue the unification formed around active Kumeyaay land stewardship as well as centering advocacy for protection of sacred cultural landscapes (also known as sacred sites) and cultural/natural resources. One important factor to the work and way of life Ms. Burgueno leads is the importance to implement and uplift tribal sovereignty as it's within inherent rights as Kumeyaay to live a life our ancestors intended for us. 

As a ISN Board Member, Ms. Burgueno intends supporting the network to connect with Southern California Tribal Nations, specifically within San Diego County which has the most federally recognized Tribal Nations in one county within the United States of America [18 federally recognized Tribal Nations]. Ms. Burgueno looks forward to creating opportunities for CA Tribal Nations to uplift and support traditional stewardship from North, Central, and South through ISN.