Gallery Spotlight: Land Acknowledgement

Free with museum general admission, the Gallery Spotlight series is a monthly conversation with featured guests.

The Education and Public Engagement team invites visitors to explore Stories of Cinema, the Academy Museum’s ongoing core exhibition that presents diverse, international, and complex stories of moviemakers and the works they create.   

Join us for a conversation with Academy Museum advisor and Tongva member Virginia Carmelo along with her daughter, actor Tonantzin Carmelo, to discuss the importance of Land Acknowledgements within cultural institutions, how the Tongva community consulted the Academy Museum on the process of developing our Land Acknowledgement, and their perspective on Southern California Native American representation in film.

About Virginia Carmelo
Virginia Carmelo (Gabrieliño/Tongva) has dedicated her life to Indigenous activism, with a focus on the preservation and revitalization of Tongva tribal song, dance, language, story, and regalia. Virginia served over a decade as a Tribal Council Member and Tribal Chairperson of the Gabrielino/Tongva Nation of the Los Angeles Basin.

About Tonantzin Carmelo
Tonantzín Carmelo (Gabrieliño/Tongva) is a SAG award-nominated actor known for lead and supporting roles in film, television, theater, and more. Her most recent onscreen roles include series regular Paara on NBC’s La Brea and a recurring role as Touching Ground in the BBC miniseries The English.

The conversation will take place in the Dolby Family Terrace on Level 5.

If you have any questions, or need assistance planning your visit, please email museumeducation@oscars.org. 

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