Coming all the way from Washington state, the House of Tears Carvers from the Lummi Nation are transporting a 24-foot-long totem pole to Washington, D.C. Their mission is to fight for the protection of Native Americans' sacred lands. They made their 62nd stop in Santa Cruz and on Sunday, they held an event for the community at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. They sang, prayed, and educated people – on the environment, the struggles of indigenous people and what the totem pole symbolizes. When describing the totem pole, Lummi Nation member, Siam’elwit, said, “It shows relationship of how we’re connected to Mother Earth. The spirits there, we got the eagle, we got the salmon. It shows our relationship to our relatives."With many more miles to go, they say stopping in Santa Cruz was meaningful since it's right next to the ocean. “Their messages really resonating right now. We all have to work together, so I’m just thrilled they decided to come to Santa Cruz,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Donna Meyers.