Photo by Colin H. Richard
With origins tracing back to a San Diego-based Young Native Scholars program as early as 2000, the grassroots nonprofit Native Like Water endures as a uniquely positioned organization “curating cultural experiences through an Indigenous lens with a focus on cultural conservation and natural habitats,” says founder Marc Chavez. Supported by a culturally rich staff and advisory board of accomplished and interdisciplinary Indigenous scholars, Chavez continues years of local and global program directorship serving Indigenous youth—and now the general public as well. With different origins and destinations than typical adventure tourism, Native Like Water’s mission-driven journey challenges prevailing paradigms in personal development and team building, ocean recreation, conservation, and holistic wellness.
An emphasis on reconnection to culture shapes and informs Native Like Water’s work. Along with supporting Native American and related populations with scholarships and life advancement resources, the organization maintains a central focus on a sacred relationship to water in alignment with its name. Deeply ingrained throughout Native Like Water’s programs are “surf and food as medicine” concepts and experiences. By way of ocean-focused recreation and travel, beneficiaries reintegrate lifestyle practices that Western sciences and values have separated them from. Destinations include Panama, Hawai’i, Mexico, and Jamaica, as well as on Mat Kumeyaay (Kumeyaay Land, the hyper-developed coast in particular) in what is now known as San Diego and northern Baja California. Recent and exciting developments have included dialogue and activities with the World Surf League (WSL) and local Kumeyaay leader Dr. Stanley Rodriguez.
Edible San Diego https://ediblesandiego.com/
