UC People: Eva Trujillo, honoring the ancestors

Adapted from an original article by Jen Jordan, UC San Diego

UC San Diego Today’s “Take 10 with a Triton” recently profiled Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Coordinator Eva Trujillo.

NAGPRA Repatriation Coordinator Eva Trujillo (she/her) graduated from UC San Diego in 2020, but she’s been part of the campus community for much longer. She began her career at UC San Diego Health in clinical and patient care at age 19, and has now worked on campus for 27 years.

“During my last three years on the Health side, I was working at the Museum of Us in Balboa Park as a Cultural Resources Manager while earning my bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a concentration in archaeology from UC San Diego,” she explains. “I wanted to make sure that I knew the ins and outs of archaeology so I’d be educated appropriately for the spaces that I was working in.”

Pioneering compliance training rooted in respect

Today, as NAGPRA repatriation coordinator, Trujillo is responsible for ensuring that the campus complies with federal and state laws involving the research and collection of Native American and Native Hawaiian remains and cultural resources.

“I communicate with departments across campus to help them understand situations that could happen, and what to do if they find any cultural items or human remains,” she explained.

Trujillo recently partnered with Karen Biestman and Vanessa Haro from UC San Diego’s Office of Organizational Transformation to develop online NAGPRA compliance training for UC San Diego employees — the first of its kind in the UC system.

Available to all UC San Diego staff on the campus’s local UC Learning Center, the training compiles complex requirements and procedures in an easily digestible way. Tailored to the UC San Diego experience, it features real-life scenarios that Trujillo’s office has experienced. “Going above and beyond is something that we should be doing because of our past histories of injustice and violations of human rights,” she says. “We aim to do better and know better now.”

Another key part of Trujillo’s role is consulting with local tribes to determine the cultural affiliation of remains and artifacts and to ensure they are appropriately housed until they are transferred to the tribe.

Returning to her roots

Working at UC San Diego holds great meaning for Trujillo, who grew up in San Diego County and is a member of the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians.

“The campus’s location is a significant area for the Kumeyaay people,” she says. “Doing work on campus in this environment and having the opportunity to go to school at UC San Diego has been a way to spread deeper roots.”

This identity makes her work all the more rewarding. “When we’re busy, it’s good — that means ancestors are going back home,” she says.

As a mother, wife and active tribal member, Trujillo enjoys a bustling, full life. But the best advice she’s received came from one of the elders within her tribal community, who advised her to slow down and enjoy every moment.

“As you get older, the days turn into weeks and months so quickly, and we don’t live in the moment. It is something I have to intentionally remind myself,” she says.

Her advice: Simply look around. “The view from campus is just absolutely beautiful. When you look at the ocean and feel the breeze, it really speaks to the spirit of the land. The view from campus is just breathtaking. It’s calming; good medicine.”