We noticed that there was an advertisement included in an issue of The Independent this summer (July 22) that advertised locally grown medical marijuana from a farm collective named for our Chumash great-great grandmother Maria Ygnacia, whose name is sometimes written “Maria Ygnacio.” We are writing as the eldest members among 145 living descendants of Maria Ygnacia. We object to the use of our ancestor’s name as a brand label for selling drugs of any sort.
The “farm collective” that has appropriated our ancestor’s name for their label is not being respectful of the feelings of our Chumash family. Although some claim medical benefits from marijuana, there are many who have suffered from the abuse of this drug, which is oftentimes sold for recreational use under the guise of medicinal treatment. We do not wish to encourage this practice through the exploitation of our ancestor’s name.