AMLT Staff

Angelo Espinosa, Accountant (Tribal Member)

Why did you want to work for AMLT / why are you doing this work?

I have always wanted my work to reflect my ethics and concern for greater social issues. My first job after gradutating from Fresno State with a degree in Business Administration in Accountancy was for a company that had a revolutionary process for producing ethanol fuel from corn. This would reduce our need for fossil fuels and protect the environment. After that, I managed the Mental Health Services Agency (MHSA) grant for the Tulare County branch of the Health and Human Services Agency. That job granted me fulfillment through being part of a team that looked out for people who were in need. I was there when a position was opened to work for Amah Mutsun Land Trust. Our Tribal Chairman, Val Lopez, since I was a young boy stressed the importance for us to get our education and come back to the tribe and give back. This was the perfect way to continue my role as an accountant and also a tribal member.

What from your whole life's experiences are you bringing to this role?

I grew up knowing I was Amah Mutsun, but wasn't sure how to be native in a modern world. Those leaders before me worked to help us regain an understanding of our language, practices and traditions (a process that we are still very much continuing today). My personal history has always been of two worlds. I think that is the experience of most modern native people. I want that experience to inform decisions that AMLT makes. We can take the lessons of the past and apply them to modern times.

Where are you from?

I am part of the Olivas/Velasquez lineage on my mom's side. My dad was raised in Dinuba, CA and that is where I was born and raised as well. Even though I was from the Central Valley, I have always had family in our traditional ancestral lands. I remember visiting family in Gilroy and winding through Hecker Pass on the way to Santa Cruz for some clam chowder, visiting our Sacred sites, or making a quick stop on the way to San Francisco to see the GIANTS! I am very proud to be one of the first tribal members to be on staff for AMLT. We now have several tribal members in key positions and we look forward to the future of AMLT and the tribal community.