Articles /News about Bay Area Indigenous People
|
Please note BANAP recognizes that other Ohlone groups may dispute homeland boundaries.
|
Mural of Sunrise in Oakland on rematriated land...see below.
|
|
|
Joint Letter in Support of Juristac Resolution submitted to the Palo Alto City Council meeting on Monday, December 2, 2024. It was signed by FCCPA (Petition with 93 signatures) along with Green Foothills, Amah Mutsun Land Trust, SCVBA, Sierra Club, Green Belt Alliance, Friends of Juristac, California Native Plant Society, and SURJ (Showing up for Racial Justice) of Santa Clara.
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust: “On Indigenous Land Murals”; “A four panel mural follows the passage of time from sunrise, day, sunset, to nighttime. Located at the Joaquin Miller Park Cascade, this mural shares the visual story of Rinihmu Pulte’irekne, 3.8 acres of land in the Oakland Hills returned to Indigenous hands.” (See image above left ) 2024
A Conversation on Caretaking, Gathering, and Tending the Land; from an exhibition by Kirti Bassending at SF deYoung Museum (Oct. 2023 to January 2024); Features artists, cultural leaders, and elders from the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone Tribal Community (with Gregg Castro), Rumsen Ohlone Tribal Community, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation, Esselen Tribe, and the Salinan Tribe.
Bay Nature Magazine: " How Indigenous People Got Some Land Back in Oakland”-Back Story for Land Murals in previous story...Read about how the city of Oakland returned 5 acres of Joaquin Miller Park land through Sogorea Te’ Land Trust for the use of local indigenous peoples and what some of their plans are to use the land. 12-13-22
SF Chronicle: “Oakland’s iconic Fairyland sign transformed to honor Ohlone Culture”; The colorful amusement park sign on Fairyland Hill now reads “Children’s Ohloneland” — a reference to the Ohlone people who have lived in the Bay Area for thousands of years… The sign will remain through the new year…Corrina Gould, of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan and Ohlone tribes, said that the sign change helps bring visibility to the Indigenous people of the Bay Area.” 10-16-24
AP: “Ohlone People Rejoice After City of Berkeley Votes to Return Sacred Land” by Janie Har “Ohlone people and their allies rejoiced Wednesday over the return of sacred native land dating back thousands of years, saying the move righted a historic wrong and restored the people who were first on the land now called Berkeley to their rightful place in history.” (See picture of sign above middle) 3-13-24
County of SM Parks Dept.: Senator Josh Becker Announces Funds for Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail Signage; There is “state funding for a series of historic monument sites that will be installed along the 90-mile Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail in San Mateo County…In March 2020 the State Historical Resources Commission approved the redesignation of the Portolá Campground Historic Monuments to be the Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail in San Mateo County to ensure future state historic monuments include acknowledgement of Ohlone people during this period of California history.” (See example of sign above right) 12-13-23
County of SM Parks Dept: Ohlone-Portolá Interpretive Panels Installed on Crystal Springs Regional Trail; “Flanking the marker for the Portolá Expedition Camp Site located at the top of Hillcrest Blvd near the trail entrance,the panels describe the practices of the native Ohlone inhabitants as well as the Portolá Expedition’s experiences during their exploration of the region.” 1-3- 23
Palo Alto Online: Native American Graves Found at Elco Yards Development in Redwood City; Over the past few years, an unknown number of skeletal remains were discovered while digging an underground parking lot along El Camino and Main St. (named “Mound St.” in the mid 1800’s since it went through a shell mound) 10-9-23
Native News :“The Road to Healing” Heads to California on August 4th & 6th Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will visit California as part of “The Road to Healing”...”a year-long tour across the country to provide Native survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system and their descendants an opportunity to share their experiences.” 7-25-23
East Bay Regional Park Dist.: Gathering of Ohlone Peoples: Interviews and Presentations with three women descended from Ohlone, Bay Miwok, and Delta Yokut tribes; 10-2-22
Rinihmu Pulte’irekne (Sequoia Point); Nearly 5 acres returned to Indigenous hands in Oakland; Oakland Mayor Schaaf: “I am committed to returning land to Indigenous stewardship, to offer some redress for past injustices to Native people,. I hope the work we are doing in Oakland with the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust can serve as a model for other cities working to return Indigenous land to the Indigenous community we stole it from.” 12-13- 22
Palo Alto City Library has compiled a wonderful page with links to many resources and activities: Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by learning about the diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Indigenous peoples. There are currently 574 federally recognized tribes, each with their distinct identities and customs. Explore these resources to honor the historical and present-day contributions of Native communities.
Build Your Knowledge of Native American Heritage and Cultures, by Leslie Patron, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST); “The land in POST’s working area has been home to many distinct communities of Native people since time immemorial. We work to conserve and care for these lands — the ancestral territory of at least four contemporary Indigenous communities: the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Muwekma Ohlone, Ramaytush Ohlone and Tamien Nation. These groups have survived centuries of oppression and displacement, and are the past, present and future caretakers of this land.” Learn more and access additional resources (podcasts, documentaries, news, TEDx Talk, webinar, TV Show on Hulu) 4-1-22
Sogorea Te’ Land Trust: “On Indigenous Land Murals”; “A four panel mural follows the passage of time from sunrise, day, sunset, to nighttime. Located at the Joaquin Miller Park Cascade, this mural shares the visual story of Rinihmu Pulte’irekne, 3.8 acres of land in the Oakland Hills returned to Indigenous hands.” (See image above left ) 2024
A Conversation on Caretaking, Gathering, and Tending the Land; from an exhibition by Kirti Bassending at SF deYoung Museum (Oct. 2023 to January 2024); Features artists, cultural leaders, and elders from the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone Tribal Community (with Gregg Castro), Rumsen Ohlone Tribal Community, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation, Esselen Tribe, and the Salinan Tribe.
Bay Nature Magazine: " How Indigenous People Got Some Land Back in Oakland”-Back Story for Land Murals in previous story...Read about how the city of Oakland returned 5 acres of Joaquin Miller Park land through Sogorea Te’ Land Trust for the use of local indigenous peoples and what some of their plans are to use the land. 12-13-22
SF Chronicle: “Oakland’s iconic Fairyland sign transformed to honor Ohlone Culture”; The colorful amusement park sign on Fairyland Hill now reads “Children’s Ohloneland” — a reference to the Ohlone people who have lived in the Bay Area for thousands of years… The sign will remain through the new year…Corrina Gould, of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan and Ohlone tribes, said that the sign change helps bring visibility to the Indigenous people of the Bay Area.” 10-16-24
AP: “Ohlone People Rejoice After City of Berkeley Votes to Return Sacred Land” by Janie Har “Ohlone people and their allies rejoiced Wednesday over the return of sacred native land dating back thousands of years, saying the move righted a historic wrong and restored the people who were first on the land now called Berkeley to their rightful place in history.” (See picture of sign above middle) 3-13-24
County of SM Parks Dept.: Senator Josh Becker Announces Funds for Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail Signage; There is “state funding for a series of historic monument sites that will be installed along the 90-mile Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail in San Mateo County…In March 2020 the State Historical Resources Commission approved the redesignation of the Portolá Campground Historic Monuments to be the Ohlone-Portolá Heritage Trail in San Mateo County to ensure future state historic monuments include acknowledgement of Ohlone people during this period of California history.” (See example of sign above right) 12-13-23
County of SM Parks Dept: Ohlone-Portolá Interpretive Panels Installed on Crystal Springs Regional Trail; “Flanking the marker for the Portolá Expedition Camp Site located at the top of Hillcrest Blvd near the trail entrance,the panels describe the practices of the native Ohlone inhabitants as well as the Portolá Expedition’s experiences during their exploration of the region.” 1-3- 23
Palo Alto Online: Native American Graves Found at Elco Yards Development in Redwood City; Over the past few years, an unknown number of skeletal remains were discovered while digging an underground parking lot along El Camino and Main St. (named “Mound St.” in the mid 1800’s since it went through a shell mound) 10-9-23
Native News :“The Road to Healing” Heads to California on August 4th & 6th Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will visit California as part of “The Road to Healing”...”a year-long tour across the country to provide Native survivors of the federal Indian boarding school system and their descendants an opportunity to share their experiences.” 7-25-23
East Bay Regional Park Dist.: Gathering of Ohlone Peoples: Interviews and Presentations with three women descended from Ohlone, Bay Miwok, and Delta Yokut tribes; 10-2-22
Rinihmu Pulte’irekne (Sequoia Point); Nearly 5 acres returned to Indigenous hands in Oakland; Oakland Mayor Schaaf: “I am committed to returning land to Indigenous stewardship, to offer some redress for past injustices to Native people,. I hope the work we are doing in Oakland with the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust can serve as a model for other cities working to return Indigenous land to the Indigenous community we stole it from.” 12-13- 22
Palo Alto City Library has compiled a wonderful page with links to many resources and activities: Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by learning about the diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Indigenous peoples. There are currently 574 federally recognized tribes, each with their distinct identities and customs. Explore these resources to honor the historical and present-day contributions of Native communities.
Build Your Knowledge of Native American Heritage and Cultures, by Leslie Patron, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST); “The land in POST’s working area has been home to many distinct communities of Native people since time immemorial. We work to conserve and care for these lands — the ancestral territory of at least four contemporary Indigenous communities: the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Muwekma Ohlone, Ramaytush Ohlone and Tamien Nation. These groups have survived centuries of oppression and displacement, and are the past, present and future caretakers of this land.” Learn more and access additional resources (podcasts, documentaries, news, TEDx Talk, webinar, TV Show on Hulu) 4-1-22
News about other California Indigenous Peoples:
Washington Post: “‘I formally apologize’: Biden condemns U.S. Indian boarding schools”: “President Joe Biden apologized to Native Americans… for the U.S. government’s role in creating and operating Indian boarding schools that for 150 years aimed to assimilate Native children by taking them from their families and erasing their languages and culture.” Biden said, “Darkness can hide much. It erases nothing. Some injustices are heinous and horrific. They can’t be buried. We must know the good, the bad, the truth. We do not erase history. We make history. We learn from history, and we remember so we can heal as a nation.” 10-25-24 (List of BIA schools in California)
California Native American Day: and Article in Native News Online: about this day in Sacramento at the Capitol Building on Sept. 27, 2024. The theme this year is “Recognizing 100 Years of Citizenship and the Fight for the Right to Vote: 1924-2024” 9-27-24
CBS News/ SF; “Indigenous tribe works to establish marine sanctuary along California coastline”; “The Chumash tribe was stewards of these waters, according to Violet Sage Walker,... and coexisting alongside the complex food web compromised of coral, fish, seals, sharks and dolphins allowed the tribe to thrive…The Chumash tribe is leading a push to turn this section of coastline into a marine sanctuary…If the area receives a marine sanctuary designation, it will be the first one to have been proposed by an Indigenous group.” 11/11/23
Al Jazeera: “Restoring a culture: One Indigenous leader’s fight for her people” by Allison Griner; “Cheryl Seidner, 72, has led a revival of the Wiyot tribe's ceremonial practices and a fight to reclaim land that was brutally taken more than a century ago.” (Humboldt Bay region in northern California) 8-9-22
Archived Articles (2022)
AP News: “Wounded Knee artifacts highlight slow pace of repatriations” by Philip Marcello”; Native American repatriations is a slow, monumental task. Some 870,000 items… that should be returned to tribes under federal law are still in the possession of colleges, museums and other institutions across the country. 7-28-22
Berkeley News: “After pandemic hiatus, Native American language survival workshop returns to campus” by Yasmin Anwar Learn about efforts at UC Berkeley to help indigenous people discover and relearn their languages. 5/20/22
KQED: “Meet 3 Women Behind Indigenous Land Back Effort to Reclaim SF Peninsula Farm”; Learn about a farm in San Gregorio and the three indigenous women working to reclaim it to “heal the wounds of colonialism through food, medicine, story, and restoration.” 4-23-22
Stanford Report: Stanford and Illinois researchers publish genomic evidence of ancient Muwekma Ohlone connection; “A research collaboration with the Muwekma Ohlone tribe – whose ancestral lands include the Stanford campus – shows a genetic relationship between modern-day Tribe members and individuals buried nearby who lived more than 1,900 years ago.” 3-21-22
KQED Ramaytush Ohlone
NY Times: “New DNA Analysis Supports and Unrecognized Tribe’s Ancient Roots in California”; Learn about government recognition of Muwekma Ohlone Tribe based in part on DNA evidence. 4-12-22
NY Times: Genetics testing linking Muwekma to burial sites. 4/12/22
Palo Alto Weekly- Muwekma Ohlone, “Seeking a tribal home” 4/8/22
Stanford Magazine: Celebrating a Half Century of the Stanford Pow-wow” by Marc Tessier-Lavigne May 2022
SF Examiner: “Federal funds boost Native American health services in San Francisco” 5/26/22
SF GATE: Bay Area residents outraged by controversial, ‘ugly’ development that would disturb Native American burial sites; by Ariana Bindman; Summary of background and current issues and points of view regarding the Sargent Ranch or Juristac land with contested proposal for a granite quarry. 8-26-22
The Nation: Conquest in the Courts : “Without having to sign a treaty or fight a war, a 5-4 majority handed the states presumptive power over Indian lands.” by Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese . 7-6-22
Washington Post: “Opinion- The Supreme Court strikes again — this time at tribal sovereignty” By Stanford Faculty: Gregory Ablavsky and Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese. 7-1-22. (Check for followup articles about this important decision.
KQED: “Meet 3 Women Behind Indigenous Land Back Effort to Reclaim SF Peninsula Farm”; Learn about a farm in San Gregorio and the three indigenous women working to reclaim it to “heal the wounds of colonialism through food, medicine, story, and restoration.” 4-23-22
Stanford Report: Stanford and Illinois researchers publish genomic evidence of ancient Muwekma Ohlone connection; “A research collaboration with the Muwekma Ohlone tribe – whose ancestral lands include the Stanford campus – shows a genetic relationship between modern-day Tribe members and individuals buried nearby who lived more than 1,900 years ago.” 3-21-22
KQED Ramaytush Ohlone
- Bay Curious: The History of the Bay’s 425 Shell Mounds”(4-4-22)
- “The Theft of Our Land"; In Newsom’s $100M Landback Proposal, Indigenous Advocates- and Have Questions”; Learn about progress to give money to Native American tribes for land to purchase and preserve their ancestral lands in California. (3-22-22)
NY Times: “New DNA Analysis Supports and Unrecognized Tribe’s Ancient Roots in California”; Learn about government recognition of Muwekma Ohlone Tribe based in part on DNA evidence. 4-12-22
NY Times: Genetics testing linking Muwekma to burial sites. 4/12/22
Palo Alto Weekly- Muwekma Ohlone, “Seeking a tribal home” 4/8/22
Stanford Magazine: Celebrating a Half Century of the Stanford Pow-wow” by Marc Tessier-Lavigne May 2022
SF Examiner: “Federal funds boost Native American health services in San Francisco” 5/26/22
SF GATE: Bay Area residents outraged by controversial, ‘ugly’ development that would disturb Native American burial sites; by Ariana Bindman; Summary of background and current issues and points of view regarding the Sargent Ranch or Juristac land with contested proposal for a granite quarry. 8-26-22
The Nation: Conquest in the Courts : “Without having to sign a treaty or fight a war, a 5-4 majority handed the states presumptive power over Indian lands.” by Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese . 7-6-22
Washington Post: “Opinion- The Supreme Court strikes again — this time at tribal sovereignty” By Stanford Faculty: Gregory Ablavsky and Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese. 7-1-22. (Check for followup articles about this important decision.
Websites (updated with current news)
Amah Mutsun Landtrust: Vision of conservation, restoration, stewardship, research and teaching
Bay Area Native Tribe Websites (Look for information about current events, history, and culture with videos and pictures)
Friendship Houses: Active in assisting urban Indians and plan for a SF Friendship House for 2025; Indigenous-led organization that believes culture is medicine and helps with healing from addictions and effects of poverty; Site for Governor Newsom's California Truth & Healing Council’s September meeting.Green Foothills (Mission: To protect the open spaces, farmlands, and natural resources of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties for the benefit of all through advocacy, education, and grassroots action.) information about their partnership with Amah Mutsun to protect Juristac:
Bay Area Native Tribe Websites (Look for information about current events, history, and culture with videos and pictures)
- Amah Mutsun Ohlone (of the Gilroy, Coyote Valley area).
- Muwekma Ohlone (primarily of the southeast and south bay area):
- Ramaytush Ohlone (of the peninsula)
- Sogorea Te Land Trust in East Bay and Lisjan People: led by urban indigenous people; “Speak of the Ohlone in the present”
- Tamien Nation (of southern Santa Clara county and parts of Santa Cruz)
Friendship Houses: Active in assisting urban Indians and plan for a SF Friendship House for 2025; Indigenous-led organization that believes culture is medicine and helps with healing from addictions and effects of poverty; Site for Governor Newsom's California Truth & Healing Council’s September meeting.Green Foothills (Mission: To protect the open spaces, farmlands, and natural resources of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties for the benefit of all through advocacy, education, and grassroots action.) information about their partnership with Amah Mutsun to protect Juristac:
Protect Juristac : Ohlone Amah Mutsun Tribal Band strive to stop an open pit mine on 320 acres near Gilroy
The Ramaytush Ohlone (San Mateo County Website): “Have you wondered about the people who lived on the Peninsula before Europeans arrived in 1769?”
The Ramaytush Ohlone (San Mateo County Website): “Have you wondered about the people who lived on the Peninsula before Europeans arrived in 1769?”
San Jose State University Website: “The Muwekma Ohlone are Still Here” by Julia Halprin Jackson; photo by Ian Lundie
The Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools Policy on the U.S. Act Website
The Village SF: website; Reclaiming and Rebuilding community for San Francisco’s Native people "Culture is our medicine."
The Village SF: website; Reclaiming and Rebuilding community for San Francisco’s Native people "Culture is our medicine."
Music: Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (JKIBB): “Since time immemorial, songs have been the vessels for stories, lessons, and prayers for the Indigenous people of the Americas. JKIBB continues that sacred tradition, performing new works, reimagined traditional melodies, and standards made famous by the Indigenous jazz musicians who came before us. JKIBB is a sonic celebration of the diversity and vitality of Indigenous voices in jazz—past, present, and future.Music online by JKIBB:
“Water” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEXG4mZ5y2A
“Blood Quantum” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsFImI3D-QQ
“Water” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEXG4mZ5y2A
“Blood Quantum” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsFImI3D-QQ