"Listen to Me!" Interview with Mathew Leivas

Matthew Hanks Leivas (Chemehuevi) is the hereditary chief of the Chemehuevi people living along the Colorado River. He is a former tribal councilman, game warden, and director of the tribe’s Cultural Center. Leivas attended Sherman Institute and served in the Marine Corps. He is the foremost Salt Song Singer, a Native American Land Conservancy board member, and a national leader in cultural preservation. Leivas and his family speak Chemehuevi and share their language and knowledge with others.

Interview of Matthew Hanks Leivas

In the interview by Leivas, “Listen to Me!” he discusses the urgency of repatriation and how sacred objects and ancestors belong to their respective communities. The remains of Ancestors are not trophies to be displayed. He passionately pleads for the return of his Chemehuevi relatives.