Checking In With Brayan Cruz

Young Leaders Award recipient Brayan Cruz (He/They) is located on the traditional lands of the Acjachemen people in Santa Ana, OC. As a migrant person, their work is driven by the preservation of culture through seeds and food. Their knowledge comes from their lived experiences as a working-class migrant person, their community, and their culture. Their land work is focused on urban gardening and restorative farming practices in their community. Where they actively support the development of food and seed sovereignty projects. They are driven by intergenerational healing and migrant justice initiatives. Their individual and collective work is part of a greater responsibility. A responsibility to care for the land, cultural knowledge, and seeds for the next generations. They believe in the access to traditional food and cooking materials as a medium for holistic wellness.

We recently checked in with Brayan to learn more about their background and plans for the conservation and regeneration of the planet.

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WS: Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and what inspired you to embark on your currentproject (i.e. work that you are focusing on while in YLA)?

BC: My name is Brayan and I was born in Xochimilco, Mexico. My family comes from a long lineage of migrating people which includes Tlaxcala (Nahuatl) and Oaxaca (Mixteco/Ñuu Savi). For most of my life, I have lived in the United States. For that reason, I have a deep desire to reconnect and preserve my ancestral cultural practices. Growing up in a migrant working-class community deeply influenced my insight and passion to advocate for my community. At the same time as I began to dive deep into Indigenous farming practices and learn about traditional ecological knowledge, my passion for land work grew. Altogether, I saw a deep need for the preservation of cultural knowledge and the overall health of my community. In the end, what started as a personal passion and interest to grow and cook traditional food organically transformed into Tlaxcali (Tortilla), a social enterprise where I can sustainably uplift holistic wellness for my community through food and seeds. At the core, Tlaxcali's vision is to uplift access to traditional seeds, cooking methods, land care, and the overall sustainable efforts that are in place to promote intergenerational healing.

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WS: Can you describe the core components of your project and how it contributes to the conservation or regeneration of the planet?

BC: Tlaxcali (Tortilla) as a social enterprise focuses on bringing forward intergenerational healing through food and seed sovereignty initiatives. It is an educational shop that provides accessibility for Indigenous and migrant people as well as opportunities to reconnect to their cultural food/seeds. This is done through farming, seed saving, utilization of earth-based cooking materials, and oral storytelling initiatives. Tlaxcali serves as an education shop and a medium in which we can uplift both food and seed sovereignty endeavors. Through the shop, we uplift earth-based cooking that utilizes open fire and artisanal clay work to cook with. These cooking practices utilize a sustainable and culturally relevant approach to preparing food. Whereas many of our conventional cooking materials and ingredients are contaminated with lead and other health-degrading components that continue to affect the overall health of our community. Tlaxcali also focuses on regenerative farming practices that highlight culturally relevant growing methods. The preservation of these farming practices especially amongst young people is critical to climate change. Furthermore, the preservation and protection of culturally relevant seeds are at the center of all our work. Seeds are how we can directly address conversations about the conservation and regeneration of the planet. Culturally significant and regional adaptive seeds are one of the most crucial ways to address climate change.

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WS: In what ways does your project engage with local communities? How important is community involvement to the success of your initiative and why?

BC: From the very inception of Tlaxcali community involvement continues to be a core principle. The food and seed sovereignty initiatives deeply depend on community engagement. That includes the overall work it takes to farm, seed save, and bring forward the preservation of traditional knowledge. Through Tlaxcalli I help promote opportunities where elders can share their insight to both individuals and the community at large. The passing of intergenerational knowledge from elders to youth is crucial to the preservation of cultural practices. Tlaxcali aims to bring forward traditional food to family homes, ceremonial and cultural community gatherings. The overall efforts of preserving traditional food are dependent on it being accessible within homes and within the community. It is also a strong belief and principle within Tlaxcali that all that we do is interconnected and it takes all that we consider community to bring forward transformative change.

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WS: What advice would you give to other young individuals who want to start their own environmental or climate projects?

BC: My advice to young people is to trust their passions and calling. Our creative force is directly connected to our power as young people. We are needed in all environmental projects and our participation is vital. It is also important to remember that there are many avenues in which we can all be part of addressing climate change. There is no one set way and all approaches are needed. That includes music, art, dance, and every creative energy dedicated to the regeneration of the planet. I would also advise to lean into mentors, elders, and others who have paved the way for us. It is crucial for us to look back and learn from what worked and see how we can continue to create a world in which future generations will be able to benefit. Although there is self-doubt and many challenges due to our multifaceted realities. People want us to succeed. We as young people are the ones who are destined to pass on the fire to the next generation. My final advice would be that as much as the outer work is needed we also need our inner self to be well. The most important project is ourselves. We need to be well enough to be able to be present in this life where we are needed. As young people our lives are sacred and our health is important for the overall wellness of the land and communities.

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WS: Who are your role models in the environmental and climate movements, and how have they influenced your approach to your work?

BC: All the knowledge and opportunities I have today are due to strong Queer and Trans Matriarchal lineages. This includes the recipes, seeds, food, cooking methods, farming practices, songs, dance, cultural practices, and overall ways of life. This also includes the many efforts set forward by Black and Indigenous sovereignty movements. I strongly believe that the blueprint of all the regenerative and transformational work we are doing is based on the efforts of Black and Indigenous people. As a Queer Indigenous person, I feel like I have inherited the responsibility to live up to what has been paved forward by our Queer and Trans ancestors. They continue to be my inspiration to live my life authentically and with a strong sense of responsibility for the current relatives in our community. This involves the youth and elders in our community who are the people I am to be in service for. I also want to give a special shout-out to Desire Johnson-Forte, the Executive Director of BIZ Stoop, an Oakland, CA based social enterprise. She has been and continues to be an instrumental support and role model in my life. As a young adult, she was able to help guide me to the world of social enterprise while uplifting my overall wellness as an individual. Without role models like her in my life, I would not have had the opportunities I have today.