Alameda Native History Project

Month: February 2025

  • Decolonize This Place! : Support the Indigenous Land Lab

    For centuries, Native American communities have faced brutal suppression of our cultural heritage and spiritual practices. Our ancestors’ lands were stolen, our traditions criminalized, and our people forcibly relocated to urban areas.

    Today, 87% of Native Americans live in cities, disconnected from our ancestral territories and the natural resources essential for our cultural survival.

    Over 18,000 Native and Indigenous People reside In the San Francisco Bay Area – the majority of whom are from tribes in other areas; many of whom are the descendants of families relocated by the Indian Relocation Act of 1956.

    The historical traumas persist as the ongoing persecution of “Indianness”:

    • Urban displacement separates us from nature, making it hard to maintain cultural heritage and traditional practices rooted in the land.
    • Privatization of land forces us to trespass or face fines for practicing our cultural ceremonies. (Even on Tribal Land, we are still harassed.)
    • Our cultural practices don’t end at reservation borders – we still need sage, berries, acorns, pine nuts, and traditional foods & materials for ceremonies, healing, and cultural survival.
    • Native American People are still criminalized for gathering the materials we need to practice our cultural and religious traditions.

    But there is hope.

    We have been blessed with an opportunity to reclaim our cultural heritage and decolonize a sacred space in the Bay Area.

    The Indigenous Land Lab will be a thriving hub for:

    • Traditional medicine and herb garden
    • Restoration nursery for environmental healing
    • Safe sanctuary for Indigenous people and allies to decompress, honor the earth, and collaborate in decolonization efforts

    We need your support to make this vision a reality.

    Our immediate goals require funding for:

    1. Seeds for our traditional medicine and herb garden
    2. Fencing to secure our land, and protect this sacred space from damage by invasive wild boars
    3. Greenhouse construction for year-round growth and education
    4. Decolonization efforts to reclaim our cultural heritage and restore balance to the land

    Every donation brings us closer to decolonizing our homeland and revitalizing our cultural practices.

    Your contribution helps cultivate reciprocity – a mutual exchange of respect, resources, and restoration.

    Donation levels: 

    1. Seed Starter ($25)
    2. Land Defender ($50)
    3. Greenhouse Guardian ($100)
    4. Land Lab Hero ($250)
    5. Community Champion ($500)
    6. Healing Founder ($1000)

    Reclaiming cultural heritage and sacred spaces is crucial for our survival. Collaborating to restore this land and realize our connection to it is how we move forward.

    Decolonization starts with a single step – yours.

    Donate today to support the Indigenous Land Lab and join a movement reclaiming heritage, land, and justice.

    Donate Now!

    Be our Top Fundraiser and Win a Free *Premium* Indigenous Bay Hoodie!

    Join our fundraising team and get rewarded for your hard work!

    The top fundraiser will receive a Premium Indigenous Bay Hoodie as a thank you gift for helping us reach our fundraising goals through peer-to-peer fundraising!

    Wear your land acknowledgment with pride knowing you’ve personally contributed to the decolonization of Indigenous Land.

    Find out more by signing up using the “Fundraise” button on our Decolonize This Place! campaign page:

    https://givebutter.com/landlab

    You can also reach out to us directly with any questions using collab@nativehistoryproject.org

    We can also add you to the team directly, upon request.

    Now, let’s Decolonize This Place, together!

  • Remarks at the Alameda Display of Unity Rally Lead to City of Alameda Reaffirming its Sanctuary City Status

    Shalom Bruhn opening remarks at the rally, on a cold windy, Monday afternoon in Alameda.

    People gathered outside of Alameda City Hall on Monday, February 3, 2025, to show their unified resolve for Alameda’s Sanctuary City status.

    I was honored to be among such speakers as Shalom Bruhn, Amos White, Rev. Michael Yoshi, Dr. Cindy Ackert, Kimi Sugioka, Rev. Vathanak Heang, Hiro Guida, and more people spoke during the open mic session.

    Kimi Sugioka (left) holds a sign reading “Alameda Stands United Against Hate”; Amos White (right) speaking at the rally.

    These are the remarks I delivered.

    Remarks at the Alameda Display of Unity Rally

    On February 3, 2025,
    in Alameda, California

    “Hello, my name is Gabriel Duncan.  I’m the founder of the Alameda Native History Project.  I’m a mix of Paiute, and Mexican (Chichimeca).  I’m Gay, Two-Spirit, and Queer.  I’m also disabled; I have AIDS.  I’m a mix of many things that are being targeted for deportation, defunding, and disenfranchisement.

    “That’s why I want to talk about the fear of belonging to a group of people being targeted.  Of the fear I felt when I first came out (just like now.)  And how I did it, even though I was afraid.

    “I came out not just for myself.  But for my LGBTQ and Two-Spirit cousins who could not do it themselves–to stand up and advocate for the other members of my community who were isolated, targeted, and attacked because of who they are–to defend our humanity, and demand to be treated with dignity and respect.  I stand up because my conviction and belief in justice and equality give me strength.

    “Even now, even though I am afraid, I cannot let people I called my friends, my neighbors, even my family–I cannot let them go on terrorizing the innocent people who came here to escape violence and persecution, who came here looking for a better life, for a brighter future.  We cannot allow them to continue demonizing our differences, chasing down our most vulnerable, and subjecting them to more violence, and more persecution.

    “Because, the reality is, our diversity gives us strength.

    “This is why sanctuaries exist.  Sanctuaries exist to give refuge, to provide safety.  To allow people to live, and thrive with liberty, justice and dignity.  The pursuit of happiness, living in freedom.  This is the promise of the American Dream.  America is supposed to be a sanctuary.

    “As we stand here today, to let out our cry for dignity, inclusivity, and respect, we do this as a diverse community of people who still believe that the American Dream is just as much ours as everyone else’s.

    “I stand before you here to re-affirm my commitment to support, advocate, and fight for the inclusion of the people who built this city, this state, and this nation–and who this place was built upon!

    “People who provide us with the food we eat, the care for our children, for our sick, and elderly, who do the jobs no one else will do–I will advocate for them because they belong here more than many of us.

    “If you believe in liberty, equality, and justice; then it is your duty, too.  It is your duty to create and protect a sanctuary as a group, as a collective, that we can share with our friends and neighbors–and even strangers–when they need it most.

    “Let us make sure that Alameda is a Sanctuary City – NOW AND FOREVER!”

    Special thanks to EB-FLOW (East Bay Fierce Loving Organized Women) for organizing this rally.

    Super special thanks to Lis Cox for her awesome cinematography.

    This is EB-FLOW organizer Shalom Bruhn reading her poem at the rally.

    Update: After receiving the signed petition from Monday’s rally, during the Alameda City Council Meeting on Tuesday, the City of Alameda released the following statement on Wednesday.

    “The City remains committed to the values of dignity, inclusivity, and respect for all individuals, regardless of ethnic or national origin, gender, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, or immigration status. We are committed to upholding the Constitution and ensuring a safe community for everyone, consistent with the City’s Sanctuary City policy.”

    February 5, 2025 “Statement from the City of Alameda”

    Read the entire statement on the City’s website.

    Thank you to everyone who came out and signed the petition, and supported this crucial effort!!