Land Acknowledgement

I was born, and now “own property”, on stolen land, and I want to pay deep respect to the Indigenous communities of generations past, present, and future who are the original stewards of this land. I currently reside and work in Austin, Texas, which is the ancestral territory of the Tonkawa, Lipan-Apache, Karankawa, Comanche, and Coahuiltecan people. I also want to acknowledge and give respect to the various Indigenous people and nations who live in the land we now call Texas, specifically the Miakan-Garza band, Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation, Kitikiti’sh people (Wichita), the Seminole people, the Jumano Nation of Texas, the Carrizo-Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. I recognize Indigenous people regardless of federal/state recognition and understand this list is not exhaustive and that there are names and nations of people that history is still working to recover and include. 

HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE TRIBES REFERENCED IN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

  • Tonkawa (Ton-kah-wa)

  • Lipan-Apache (Li-pahn Uh-pach-ee)

  • Karankawa (Kuh-rang-kuh-wah)

  • Jumano (Who-ma-no)

  • Wichita (Wich-i-taw)

  • Kitikiti-sh (Kirikirish)

  • Comanche (Kuh-man-chee)

  • Coahuiltecan (Kaw-wheel-teh-kans)

  • Maikan-Garza (May-ya-kan Gar-zah)

  • Alabama-Coushatta (Al-uh-bam-a Coo-shaw-ta)

  • Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (E-sled-da del pwebb-low)

  • Yaqui (Ya-key)

I aim to not contribute to the American legacy of erasing Native American and Indigenous history. To learn more about what Native lands you occupy, visit Native Land; to show support for Native and Indigenous sovereignty, check out these links: The Alliance for Native Programs and Initiatives, Land Back, MMIW2S (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Two-Spirit), The U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, LSPIRG, Lakota Law Project, No White Saviors, Resist Line 3 and The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen.

This page is a work in progress! Feel like something is missing, want to make a suggestion, or ask a question about this? Send an email to samslupski@gmail.com.

Justice Values

My work is deeply rooted in liberation, and I consider myself a forever student of abolition and anti-capitalism. My justice values in my work and life are the belief and understanding that white supremacy must be dismantled, along with the many systems it has created — police, mass incarceration, healthcare inequality, wage gaps, and more. As a privileged person on colonized land, I am responsible for operating and living in a way that helps dismantle these systems — even if it results in the loss of once-held privileges. I believe deeply in mental health services being accessible to all and know that peer support and lived experience is expertise, despite what white supremacy tells us about credentials and productivity. I am working hard to dismantle my internalized biases and believe in accountability. I do not shy away from changing my opinion upon new information, and will always listen to QTBIPOC people first.

I believe mental healing cannot happen without a holistic approach, meaning we must heal through supportive communities, holistic, trauma-informed care, and reclamation of personal and collective agency. Lasting healing happens when the transformation of all these intersects and changes on an individual and collective level. It is through that transformation we move toward liberation. These goals orient me in my work and inform the choices I make in my life.

My work in the world is inspired and informed by the work of Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color. They have always been at the forefront of queer and disability activism, transformative justice, prison abolition, and healing justice. I will always try to name my lineages and cite my work. A non-exhaustive list of my lineages and inspirations includes adrienne maree brown, Staci K. Haines, Fariha Roisin, Resmaa Menakem, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, bell hooks, ALOK, Dalia Kinsey, The Care Collective, and more.