For the first time in 300 years, acorns will be harvested at scale in the Bay Area. This is not a reenactment. This is real work, feeding real people, and restoring a food system stolen by colonization.
If you have been waiting for a way to do something that matters, this is it.
A Historic Challenge
You know you want to do more than watch from the sidelines. You know you should be part of this. The Acorn Harvest is your chance to show up and help bring back Indigenous foodways.
This is not about sending money and hoping it lands in the right place. This is about using your own hands to gather food that sustained Native people for millennia and will again.
Why It Matters
Every acorn you help collect is a tangible benefit to tribal communities. Every bucket strengthens sovereignty, food security, and cultural survival. The harvest is more than ceremony. It is sustenance, reciprocity, and history in motion.
And it only happens if people like you step up.
Do Not Miss This
Harvest meetings start next week. Only people who are signed up will get the details. If you are not on the list, you will not be part of this season’s work.
The Second Annual Acorn Harvest begins in August. This year, we will be gathering Acorns outside of the City of Alameda, into Alameda County, and beyond.
The reason for this is two-fold.
The first, almost all of the Oak trees in the City of Alameda are exclusively Coast Live Oak. These trees are in the Red Oak family.
The second, is that we have new partnerships and collaborations sprouting throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Red Oak Family? Why does this even matter?
Red Oak Trees have a two year acorn cycle. Meaning, the acorns take two years to grow and mature. In the context of the Acorn Harvest, this means no mature acorns will be available in Alameda until 2026–two years from our first harvest in 2024.
Oh… So which Oak Trees are going to have acorns, then?
This is actually great as far as the harvest goes. Because we’ll be hunting some of the most tasty acorns available. White Oak Acorns have relatively low tannic content compared to the Coast Live Oak acorns we had in abundance last year.
If you attended any of our Acorn Processing Workshops, Acorn Flour Production Days, or any of our Acorns! Culinary Series events, then you had the opportunity to taste these acorns in their various states of processing.
As an aside: One of our long-term goal is to produce blends of acorn flour for both taste and function. So being able to introduce you to these different varieties of Acorns, to harvest, taste, and cook with, is big plus in and of itself.
How do you find these White Oak trees?
We’re using a mix of GIS Analysis and In-Person Verification. Using Open Source Data we found through the California Oaks website, we were able to access several raster layers of relevant data, and then convert them into vector form we could overlay onto our own custom made maps to accurately target areas were would could find the oak trees we need.
Our next step was to find, identify, and surveil these trees in our area of interest; and to keep a running log of acorn ripeness to help time acorn harvest dates that we (hopefully) can communicate to our dedicate harvest volunteers with advance notice.
That’s all great; but how can I help?
We’re so glad you asked!
We want to find property owners/land managers who have oak trees that currently have ripening acorns.
We can describe this to you more in depth, but tl;dr the acorns need to be big, and not tiny little buds.
We want to find people who are willing to surveil the acorns in their area.
We need to start building teams, and training people to harvest acorns.
We’re looking for donations of LARGE BACKPACKS, HUGE RUCKSACKS, BACKPACKING BAGS, etc.
We’re also looking to raise the funds to properly hydrate and ensure the safety of our Harvest Teams.
Join Us for the 2025 Acorn Granary Challenge in Alameda
This summer, the Alameda Native History Project invites you to be part of something powerful, rooted, and real: the 2025 Acorn Granary Challenge.
We are building a traditional Acorn Granary using natural materials and Indigenous knowledge, right here in Alameda at APC’s Farm2Market. This is not just a construction project. It is a challenge to remember that survival has always been a collective effort, and that resilience is built in community.
Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime, hands-on experience where we work side by side to bring this granary to life, honor traditional practices, and make a tangible contribution to the restoration of Indigenous Foodways.
What We’re Building
Acorn Granaries are traditional Native American storage structures used to safely hold acorns over winter after the fall harvest. These granaries have been used for thousands of years. They are designed to protect acorns from rain, snow, and pests, while keeping them accessible as a vital food source.
The structure we are building will be a symbol of cultural resilience and a critical part of our plan to reintroduce acorn flour at scale for the first time in 300 years.
Event Details
2025 Acorn Granary Challenge Dates: Sunday, July 13 and Sunday, July 20 Time: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Location: APC Farm2Market, 2600 Barbers Point Rd, Alameda, CA 94501 Cost: Free and open to all (all ages welcome with adult supervision) Registration:events.humanitix.com/alameda-acorn-granary-challenge
This is a clean and sober event. Please do not come under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Also: you don’t have to be Native to kick it, but please respect this Indigenous Space you are being invited into.
What to Expect
Session 1 (July 13):
Learn about working with willow
Begin constructing the Acorn Granary
Discover traditional Indigenous pest management using bay leaves
Session 2 (July 20):
Add finishing touches and install the granary
Option to weave pine boughs to protect the structure from rain
No experience necessary. Just bring your full self, your willingness to contribute, and your respect for the Indigenous space you are being invited into.
Why It Matters
This granary is more than a structure. It is a step toward healing. By rebuilding these food systems, we are reclaiming a legacy interrupted by colonization. The acorns stored in this granary will become part of California’s first large-scale Indigenous acorn flour production in three centuries. That flour will be offered to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area as a tangible tribal benefit.
Your participation helps move us closer to a future where Indigenous food sovereignty is not just a concept. It is alive, growing, and thriving in our communities.
Be Part of the Movement
We are reopening Indigenous Foodways. Come help us build something sacred, and be part of something that lasts.
On June 14, 2024, Gabriel Duncan, founder of the Alameda Native History Project, delivered a speech at the Alameda No Kings Rally that challenged white progressives’ role in Gatekeeping, and Kingmaking.
But if we think “No Kings” only means no Trump, we’re missing something deeper. Kings don’t always wear crowns. Sometimes they wear progressive credentials. Sometimes they come wrapped in good intentions. Sometimes they’re lifted up—not because they earned it, but because people would rather believe a lie than sit with discomfort.
In a pointed speech, Gabriel Duncan made the difference between performative allies, and Accomplices clear:
You say you want to be allies. But performative allies want credit. Accomplices show up when it’s risky, when no one’s watching.
If you need to be thanked or centered or safe, you’re not in solidarity. You’re just performing.
He went on to draw the distinction between white allies who have the privilege to join the struggle, and BIPOC people who are forced to live it every day:
You weren’t born into this fight, but you can choose to join it. Not to be centered—but to be useful.
And then he went on to introduce the performance of a song called “Ain’t Nobody Gon’ Turn Us ‘Round”: a 1964 Civil Rights Era, Black Spiritual and Protest Song, written and sung by Black People in jails and churches, while Black People were facing police brutality, high pressure water hoses, police dogs, and police brutality, just for a crumb–for human rights.
This song was performed by “Paul Andrews [an old white man] and the Democracy Out Loud Band [a group of white singers enlisted days before the event]”, who would be singing this song at an even where no black voices were heard.
That was incorrect, Nika Kura, who sang in the beginning of the program, identifies as Black. And–after I had called out the organizers and Paul Andrews–a black mother and educator, named Katherine Castro (who you can hear saying “I’m trying!” in the recording), took the stage and spoke, and counted how many black people were even present in the audience.
We’re proud to have made this space for black voices–because it was the right thing to do. And we hope that this moment becomes a teachable moment for the organizers of this event, and our allies.
A Note About Paul Andrews, The Old White Man Who Grossly Appropriated A Black Civil Rights Song About Segregation:
We’re deeply disappointed that Paul Andrews thought it was appropriate to sing a Black Spiritual even though he is not black, and the song is about segregation. We’re even more disappointed that Paul Andrews attempted to defend his choice–and even go so far as to try and claim “Ain’t Nobody Gon’ Turn Us ‘Round” was not a Black Song; even though he himself admitted the song was created by Black People. It’s 2025, and this type of misappropriation of BIPOC identity, culture, and struggle is not not welcome in these spaces anymore.
We plan to interview the main organizer of this rally, Tina Davis, a volunteer with Indivisible. So stay tuned for that. We’ll also be releasing our interview with Mary Claire, of All Rise Alameda, soon.
If “No Kings” means anything, it has to mean the end of white progressives deciding who gets heard and who gets erased.
For the record: between 3,000 and 4,700 people were in attendance at the Alameda No Kings Rally on June 14, 2025.
This is the complete speech:
Text of the speech:
NO KINGS – 3-Minute Rally Speech (Condensed Version) “How the Pressure Is Working” Gabriel Duncan
We came here today because we know what’s wrong. Because we see injustice. Because we feel the weight of it. No one should have the power to strip rights, silence truth, or rule unchecked.
That’s why we say: No Kings.
But if we think “No Kings” only means no Trump, we’re missing something deeper.
Kings don’t always wear crowns. Sometimes they wear progressive credentials. Sometimes they come wrapped in good intentions. Sometimes they’re lifted up not because they earned it, but because people would rather believe a lie than sit with discomfort.
That’s not justice. That’s curation. That’s not solidarity. That’s theater.
Real change comes from those who risk something. And lately, more people are risking more breaking ranks, refusing comfort. That’s how we know: the pressure is working.
For too long, white progressives have been kingmakers. Choosing voices that made them feel good. Even when those voices weren’t real. That wasn’t solidarity. That was projection. That was control.
Crowning someone because they’re convenient is how white supremacy adapts. It cloaks itself in “progress,” selects leaders who keep critique shallow and power safe.
The danger of performative allyship isn’t just that it’s fake it’s that it props up lies that do real harm. Harm to truth. Harm to movements. Harm to us.
If “No Kings” means anything, it has to mean the end of white progressives deciding who gets heard and who gets erased.
You say you want to be allies. But performative allies want credit. Accomplices show up when it’s risky, when no one’s watching.
If you need to be thanked or centered or safe, you’re not in solidarity. You’re just performing. You can’t say “No Kings” while defending the figureheads you crowned just because they made you feel progressive.
Being an accomplice means you put yourself in the way of ICE, of cops, of injustice and say: “You’ll have to go through me first.”
That’s what pressure looks like. Truth without applause. Risk without reward.
You weren’t born into this fight, but you can choose to join it. Not to be centered—but to be useful.
So when we scream NO KINGS don’t just cheer. Don’t just post. Live it.
Say it with your whole chest. Say it in every space where your voice still carries more weight than ours.
No Kings. No Gatekeepers. No Masters. TOTAL LIBERATION.
Gabriel Duncan to Deliver Official Muwekma Ohlone Land Acknowledgment and Speech at June 14 No Kings Rally
ALAMEDA, CA – Gabriel Duncan, Founder and Executive Director of the Alameda Native History Project, will deliver the official Muwekma Ohlone Land Acknowledgment and a speech titled “How Our Pressure Is Working” at the No Kings Rally on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Alameda City Hall.
The official Land Acknowledgment, authorized by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, will open the rally at 12:00 PM. This acknowledgment is presented in accordance with tribal protocol and reflects the Tribe’s sovereign presence and ancestral connection to the land now known as Alameda.
Duncan will return to the stage at 12:36 PM to speak on the dangers of symbolic solidarity, curated resistance, and the structures that continue to marginalize truth in favor of comfort. His remarks will ground the event in real-time struggles for justice across California, from San Diego to Concord, and underscore the responsibility to act with clarity rather than perform unity.
Known for his leadership in Indigenous food sovereignty, environmental justice, and public historical truth-telling, Duncan is one of the only individuals in Alameda delivering officially sanctioned Land Acknowledgments on behalf of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. His participation in the No Kings Rally is both a recognition of ongoing movement work and a disruption of narratives that seek to flatten it.
This event is part of a national day of action opposing authoritarianism and political repression. It includes a community food drive for local residents in need. Participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for donation. The site is on flat, paved ground. Attendees are welcome to bring lawn or camp chairs for comfort.
Media Contact:
Gabriel Duncan Founder & Executive Director Alameda Native History Project info@nativehistoryproject.org (510) 747-8423 https://NativeHistoryProject.org/
Event Details:
Saturday, June 14, 2025 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Alameda City Hall 2263 Santa Clara Ave Alameda, CA 94501
Land Acknowledgment – 12:00 PM No Kings Speech – 12:36 PM
We’re proud to announce the re-release of the Indigenous Bay Hoodie.
Newly redesigned to provide exquisite detail and unparalleled accuracy in local Native American History. Rep your support for Ohlone people by wearing your land acknowledgment.
This hoodie features the Indigenous Bay Bart Map design, highlighting the Ohlone Villages and Tribal Regions with Indigenized station and airport names, and regional callouts in the same style and design you every time you take BART.
Available in Regular ($35) and Premium ($55) versions, this hoodie is perfect for the Bay Area’s temperate climate!
This was created as a direct response to our community’s need for restorative justice–making things right.
You likely feel a personal connection to Indigenous People. You want to contribute to the well-being and sustainability of First Peoples locally, and around the world. (Especially Ohlone people who are the first inhabitants of the San Francisco Bay Area.)
We wanted to help guide you towards contributing to reputable, accountable, and transparent organizations making measurable positive impacts in the local Indigenous and Native American communities.
We wanted to re-frame “decolonization,” “landback,” and “rematriation” (all centered around returning ancestral lands to their original Indigenous caretakers) into locally actionable concepts that celebrate the plurality and diversity of our local community organizations, and the work they do to:
Uplift our voices. Empower and Advocate.
Cultivate wellness, vitality and expression.
Preserve and celebrate our Heritage and Traditions.
Benefitting the local Native American and Indigenous Communities of the San Francisco Bay Area means looking at the big picture.
Our diversity is our strength. Understanding the inter-tribal nature of the Bay Area, as well as being able to recognize true Tribal Governments, and Indigenous Organizations is essential for your role in supporting Indigenous Liberation.
By presenting you with local Indigenous organizations making a positive, measurable impact in the community, we are re-focusing attention on community driven initiatives with a proven track-record of success and accountability.
We acknowledge that the Bay Area is an Inter-tribal Urban Reservation. That the continued un-recognition of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area has resulted in political erasure and loss of Muwekma’s hereditary homelands in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Jose, and parts of Napa, Santa Cruz, Solano, and San Joaquin counties.
We occupy Muwekma Ohlone Land. And we should do what we can to honor the first people of the Bay Area.
You deserve to know that your contributions are being used to benefit Ohlone People and the greater Native American Community. This is why it’s essential to contribute only to organizations which are transparent, accountable, and provide a measurable positive impact to Ohlone People and local Indigenous Communities.
Dedicated to preserving Ohlone culture, language, and traditional practices, this foundation supports the direct needs of Ohlone people in the Bay Area. Contributions fund cultural revitalization, education, and ancestral territory preservation efforts, promoting Ohlone self-determination and community well-being.
(Pronounced “courage”) seeks to unlock the leadership of young people to “dream beyond bars.” From their website: “We look to young people to lead the way in transforming our communities by investing in their healing, aspirations, and activism.”
Promotes Community Wellness, Provides direct Medical Care, Celebrates the rich Culture and Heritage of All Nations through diverse programming and events, including the Indigenous Red Market, and Annual NAHC Powwow.
Provides wellness and rehabilitative services to Native American People from all over the Nation. Many tribes send their members to the SF Friendship house for care. [As of writing, the website is down. Best way to reach them is to call. (415) 865-0964 Ask for Finance, or: Lena Ma ext. 4021, or Pinky Huree ext. 4012]
Intertribal Friendship House
Legit Native American community center in Oakland. A small place with a big impact. From their website: “Intertribal Friendship House (IFH), located in Oakland, CA, was founded in 1955 and is one of the first urban American Indian community centers in the nation… For urban Native people, IFH serves as a vital “Urban Reservation” and cultural homeland, providing a crucial space to stay connected to their heritage and traditions.”
Our community deserves better than empty promises and appropriation.
By supporting transparent, accountable organizations that truly benefit Ohlone people and local Indigenous communities, we can create meaningful change.
Let’s reclaim our responsibility to honor the first people of this land and work towards a future where Indigenous voices are amplified, not erased.
Together, we can make a difference – let this be a starting point for positive action.
As the City of Alameda celebrated Native American Heritage Month with a proclamation, a closer look reveals a disconnect between words and actions.
Behind the ceremonial language and gestures, a deeper story of erasure, misrepresentation, and neglect of Native American voices and histories emerged.
This article examines the proclamation and the city’s approach to Native American Heritage Month, and offers a response from the Alameda Native History Project.
The Mayor’s Proclamation
On Wednesday, November 6, at the Alameda City Council Meeting, Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft read a proclamation declaring November 2024 Native American Heritage Month.
Mayor Ashcraft’s Native American Heritage Month Proclamation
“Whereas during November, which has been designated a National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the history, rich cultures and vast contributions of Native and Indigenous peoples to our nation’s history and culture. And whereas there are 324 federally recognized reservations and 10 million individuals who identify as Native American and Alaska Native in the United States.
“And, as President Joe Biden noted in his 2024 proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, indigenous peoples history is defined by strength, survival, and a deep commitment to and pride in their heritage, right to self-governance, and ways of life.
“However, our nation’s failed policies of the past subjected generations of native peoples to cruelty, violence, and intimidation. And the forced removal of native peoples from their homes and ancestral homelands. Attempts to assimilate entire generations, and stripping indigenous peoples of their identities, cultures, and traditions are some of the darkest chapters of our nation’s history. The trauma and turmoil has fundamentally altered these communities.
“And, whereas, the Biden administration has worked with tribal nations to preserve, protect and steward important ancestral tribal lands and waters, including in 2024, the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the first sanctuary to be proposed by indigenous communities.
“And, this sanctuary boundaries encompass 4543mi² of offshore waters along 116 miles of California’s Central Coast, where indigenous people have lived for over 10,000 years. And whereas native Americans have long served in the United States military and currently serve in the highest levels of government, including Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo Tribe and former congressional representative from New Mexico, who is America’s first Native American cabinet secretary.
“And, whereas, 380 Alameda residents identify as Native Americans. And, in 2021, were among those who advocated for the city council to rename a public park to Chochenyo Park to recognize the language of the original inhabit of the city of Alameda. The legend Aulani people. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Marilyn, Ezzy Ashcraft, mayor of the City of Alameda, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as Native American Heritage Month in the City of Alameda; and encourage all residents to learn about the rich history, culture, and contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples, including by visiting the Alameda Free Library main library, where both adults and children’s books by Native American authors are on display, and the library’s online catalog also includes a themed carousel of resources for Native American Heritage Month and at the Altarena Playhouse. The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fast Horse, the first known female Native American playwright on Broadway, will be presented every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting this Friday, November 8th through November 24th.”
At the end of the proclamation, Alameda Mayor Ashcraft invited people to “learn about the rich history, culture, and contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples” by visiting the Alameda Free Library and by attending “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa Fast Horse, “the first known female Native American playwright on Broadway”.
“The Thanksgiving Play” is a satirical play that follows a group of white teachers attempting to create a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play. However, their efforts are misguided and perpetuate stereotypes, highlighting the erasure of Native American voices and experiences. The play ultimately critiques itself, with the characters deciding not to produce the play due to their lack of understanding and representation. Despite being written by a Native American author, Larissa FastHorse, the play has been criticized for its superficial portrayal of Native American issues and its pandering to white audiences by centering whiteness in a conversation about Indigenous People.
Any mention of the Alameda Museum, and its collection of stolen Grave Goods, taken from the Shellmounds of Alameda was conspicuously absent from the proclamation, which is unfortunate. And what the City did to the Shellmounds of Alameda was left unsaid. And, though the mayor did recognize Ohlone people as the First Alamedans, she mispronounced the word Ohlone, and she called the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, “the Lejon Alani tribe”.
The heavy reliance upon excerpts from another person’s Proclamation, as well as the mis pronunciation and misnaming of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe came off as having a lack of respect and understanding for the tribe’s identity and culture–the very thing the Native American Heritage Month was supposed to uplift and celebrate.
And advertising a Thanksgiving play featuring an all-white cast, with no Native American Representation at all (aside from the writer, who is not present) was extremely disconcerting, and–frankly–tone deaf.
This lack of true representation and consideration for the First Alamedans was underlined by the fact that no one from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area was invited to receive the Native American Heritage Month Proclamation.
Our Response
Alameda Native History Project founder, Gabriel Duncan, was there at the City Council Meeting, and responded to the Mayor’s Proclamation:
ANHP Response to Mayor’s Native American Heritage Month Proclamation
“My name is Gabriel Duncan, and I’m a recognized descendant of the Ütü Ütü Gwaitü Benton Hot Springs Paiute Tribe. I’m here representing the Alameda Native History Project, and I’m here to address the lack of Native American representation in city government committees and commissions.
“Alameda is the homeland of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. It has 10,000 years of history in this area, and they’re actually, like, a real tribe.
“And I want to also request that we remove Sogorea Te Land Trust from the city website. Because that’s not an Ohlone organization. And I’d also like to ask that the city make an official apology for the destruction of the shell mounds in Alameda, specifically for paving Bay Farm Road with the shell mounds. Those are bodies. That was a burial ground.
“And that whole area was desecrated.
“And we had more than four shell mounds in Alameda, the largest of with the largest was at Chestnut. And there were others next to Krusi Park, and also on Bay Farm. And the one that we know about on Mound Street. That happened in 1909 [actually in 1901 & 1908]. And it’s been a really long time.
“We know that the mound was there, but the only thing that we really have talking about it is a plaque that’s on a rock. At Lincoln Park. And I don’t think it’s fair that the only other representations of Ohlone People that we have are statues that weren’t made by Ohlone People, that are public art.
“And I think that part of representing the actual culture and heritage of the people who are the First Alamedans starts with actually hiring, like, Ohlone artists to make this art. And for the city to actually apologize for what it did for its part in desecrating the landscape of Alameda. And, it would be really nice when we have this proclamation next year to invite Tribal Members from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to accept this proclamation.
“Thank you.”
Gabriel Duncan, a recognized descendant of the Ütü Ütü Gwaitü Benton Hot Springs Paiute Tribe, addressed the city council, highlighting the lack of Native American representation in city government committees and commissions. He emphasized that Alameda is the homeland of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, with a rich history spanning over 10,000 years.
Duncan requested that the city remove Sogorea Te Land Trust from the city website, as it is not an Ohlone organization. He also asked for an official apology for the destruction of the shell mounds in Alameda, specifically for paving Bay Farm Road with the shell mounds, which were ancestral burial grounds.
Alameda Times Star Aug-20-1908The Original Plaque at Lincoln Park, unveiled in 1909. #justiceforishiAlameda Times Star Apr-23-1901
Furthermore, Duncan suggested that the city hire Ohlone artists to create public art that represents the actual culture and heritage of the First Alamedans. He also recommended inviting Tribal Members from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to accept future proclamations and participate in city events.
By taking these steps, the city can work towards reconciliation, respect, and a deeper understanding of Native American heritage in Alameda.
An Investigative Report by the Alameda Native History Project
Preserving Accurate Ohlone History and Culture
The Alameda Native History Project is dedicated to preserving the accurate history and culture of the Ohlone people. As part of this effort, we have conducted research on Sogorea Te Land Trust, a non-profit organization [501(c)(3)], and its claims of representing the Ohlone people.
Why We Investigated
We followed this story because it was newsworthy and of significant public interest. Moreover, we believe that people have the right to know where their money is going, particularly when it comes to donations intended to support Native American communities–in this case: Ohlone people, the First Alamedans.
Concerns and Findings
Our research has raised several concerns about Sogorea Te Land Trust’s claims and actions:
Claims by trust leaders, particularly Corrina Gould, about being part of an Ohlone tribe called “Lisjan“, which is actually a Nisenan name for “Pleasanton”, not East Oakland or Berkeley.
Over the past three years, the Alameda Native History Project has reached out to Sogorea Te Land Trust multiple times seeking clarification on these issues, but they have not provided any substantive responses.
Call to Action
We encourage everyone to seek out multiple sources and consult with Ohlone elders and experts before supporting or promoting initiatives related to Ohlone history and culture. Specifically, we recommend reaching out to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area and other Ohlone leaders who may have valuable insights and perspectives on the issues raised in this report. By engaging in open and respectful dialogue, we can work together to ensure the accurate representation and well-being of the Ohlone people.
When it comes to foraging for acorns, we have a firm policy: we don’t accept those collected from the ground.
Here’s why:
Acorns can mold incredibly quickly once picked up; especially when stored improperly in bags, boxes, or environments with little to no air circulation. It is vitally important to prevent the spread of mold and mildew to other acorns in storage.
Moldy acorns are not just unappealing; they can pose serious health risks, like hantavirus.Hantavirus is a serious disease transmitted through contact with rodent droppings or urine. Ground-collected acorns are often more likely to be contaminated by mold and pathogens, which we want to avoid.
It’s important to note that 20% or less of the acorns gathered from the ground are fit enough for storage and consumption. Since we emphasize sourcing acorns for food, we have to apply a strict standard: if it’s not something you would personally eat, we don’t want it either.
By upholding these guidelines, we prioritize health and ensure that the acorns we collect and use are safe and of the best quality.
Let’s keep our foraging practices safe and sustainable!
