Mercedes Dorame is a photographer and member of the Tongva tribe in Los Angeles. In consideration of her heritage and deep connection to the landscape of California, Dorame’s practice critically engages with constructions of culture, ceremony, sovereignty, community survival, and land rights. Dorame creates what she describes as "humble ceremonial interventions", installations that address the effects of living in a region where her tribe no longer has access. Her photographs capture these ceremonial interventions, noting that the federal government does not recognize her tribe, does not have reservation land, and therefore does not have a central gathering site. As we collectively grapple with the ramifications of expansive urban growth, both in terms of environmental degradation and the obfuscation of Indigenous history and vitality, Dorame’s work raises questions about the impact that urbanistic and architectural ambitions have on our understanding of Indigenous cultures in California and beyond.