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Who We Are
About us
LINKS is an Indigenous-led nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring balance between people and the land through the revitalization of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). We work at the intersection of ancestral wisdom and contemporary science to protect ecosystems, strengthen communities, and cultivate climate resilience in urban and rural spaces alike.
Rooted in the knowledge systems of the indigenous peoples of the Los Angeles Basin, our work honors millennia-old relationships with the natural world. We engage in land restoration, biocultural education, community science, and youth empowerment, all while advocating for Indigenous leadership in environmental decision-making.
From rebuilding native plant habitats and managing fire-adapted landscapes to creating healing gardens and restoring sacred waterways, LINKS brings together Indigenous science, academic research, and hands-on practice. Our goal is not only sustainability, but cultural continuity, environmental justice, and intergenerational learning and healing.
We believe that a thriving future requires remembering the past, and that by listening to the land, who holds stories of the past, we can forge pathways toward regeneration, sovereignty, and shared stewardship.
Meet our Founders
Director of Environmental Sustainability; Biologist; Lead Scientist
Matthew Teutimez, MSc
Matthew is a biologist dedicated to redefining environmental stewardship by bridging the gap between modern science and Indigenous wisdom. As the Lead Scientist of the Laboratory for Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) he brings a powerful blend of academic expertise and traditional ecological knowledge to guide the organization’s mission to integrate time-tested Indigenous practices and knowledge into contemporary resource and land management.
Matthew’s academic background includes a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biology from California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and has served as a visiting scholar at the University of Southern California (USC). As a veteran biologist, Matthew specializes in endangered species protection and monitoring, with extensive field experience tracking and safeguarding Southern California’s native bird, reptile, and plant populations. His research also focuses deeply on ethnobotany, the cultural uses of native species, and the benefits they provide. Driven by a vision to integrate ancestral wisdom with modern conservation science, Matthew founded the Laboratory for Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) to transform this specialized knowledge into actionable, culturally rooted environmental stewardship.
Director of Finance & Administration; DVM; Secretary
Dr. Christina Swindall
Christina is the secretary and veterinarian focusing on the medicinal benefits of native resources for animals. She was born in San Gabriel and has lived most of her life in the surrounding areas. After receiving her BS in Biology from Boise State University, she went on to obtain her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Colorado State University and currently owns her own veterinary hospital in Covina. She is married and a mother of two sons. Her oldest son is an Eagle Scout and is studying Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona. Her youngest is a high school student interested in studying human medicine and has the gift of song.
Christina has been active on the Tribal Council for the Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians – Kizh Nation for the last nine years. She is also working with her son in revitalizing long lost native music and is excited to restore authentic songs. Her other goals for her indigenous heritage are revitalization of the language and supporting the education of youth.