Ashima Shiraishi Instagram – The rocks, ever-evolving, are shaped into curved and glacial looking sculptures by the water. Lao Tzu once said, “Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong”. Water being soft and strong reminds me of the soft power of storytelling. Here’s one story: before Los Angeles was even a word on a map, it was called Tovaangar, the territory of the Tongva, Chumash and Kizh, who were then enslaved to build the San Gabriel Mission and San Fernando Mission. It may be unsettling to realize but urban areas that have become so ingrained in our collective consciousness as “American” were once native land, too. 📍Chumash, Kizh, Fernandeño Tataviam, Micqanaqa’n and Tongva land 📍Support and donate to @tongva.land (Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy) a Tongva led land conservancy in Tovaangar where land has returned to their hands for the first time. @noahsahady pic @arcteryx used gear fit