Alameda Native History Project

Category: Alameda Native History Project

  • Alameda Oak Tree Registry

    You can contribute to the annual Alameda Acorn Harvest by giving us access to the ground around your Oak Trees. (Yes, it’s that easy.)

    During the Alameda Oak Tree Survey, we identified 405 properties; which host at least one Oak Tree. Those locations were cross-referenced with the Alameda County Parcel Map; resulting in the discovery of 440 parcels.

    Is your property on this map?

    Assessor’s Parcel Number List

    This number can be found on your Deed, Property Tax Records, or by searching the Alameda County Assessor’s Office.

    Mobile-Friendly link to the Google Sheet.

    Alameda is the unceded territory of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Help reduce waste and conserve culture by allowing us to gather Acorns on your property.

    Stay tuned for more news & information about our 2024-2025 Programming.

  • 2024 Alameda Oak Tree Survey

    The Oak Forest of Alameda is alive and well.

    During our survey, we identified at least 405 properties which have Oak Trees.

    Once everything was processed and plugged into our GIS systems, we were able to identify the footprint of Alameda’s “Bolsa de Encinal“.

    1859 Coast Survey Map showing “The Encinal”.

    What is la Bolsa De Encinal?

    →Bolsa; Spanish, noun.: meaning bag, or purse

→Encinal; Spanish, noun.: meaning Holm Oak grove

→Alameda; Spanish, noun.: poplar grove

→Bolsa de Encinal: Purse of Oaks [It sounds better in Spanish.]
→Encinal de San Antonio: San Antonio Oak Grove

    This place we call “Alameda” has been known by many names. All of them have referred to the oak grove (or forest).

    La Bolsa de Encinal came about because this place (a peninsula) was like a little pouch or purse attached to the mainland. A purse of oak trees….

    The Encinal, or Encinal de San Antonio, literally means “the oak grove”, or “San Antonio Oak Grove”.

    And “Alameda” itself means a (poplar) grove of trees.

    But make no mistake:
    “Alameda” is unceded Muwekma Ohlone Territory.

    2024 Alameda Oak Tree Survey

    Looking at this image, you might not be able to fully recognize the actual density of what we discovered represents an urban forest right where the “historic Bolsa de Encinal used to be.”

    The real take-away was that you can’t talk about Alameda’s Oak Forest as a thing of the past.

    Alameda’s Oak Forest

    Sure, it can be hard to see when you’re surrounded by Victorian houses, and mid-century apartment buildings….

    But when you take a step back and look at the big picture: you can see it clearly.

    The Oak Forest of Alameda. Bolsa de Encinal.

    Despite the fact that many of the oldest Oak Trees in Alameda have been felled by mismanagement, habitat loss, and development; there were still plenty of big old healthy Oak Trees that we found all over the city of Alameda.

    We also learned that Coastal Live Oaks (queercus agrifolia) have been designated as a “protected tree” by the City of Alameda (A.M.C. §13-21.7[c]).

    And that same code section states: “Any oak tree shall be replaced with a minimum of [two] oak trees”.

    This means Alameda’s Oak Forest is not only alive and well, but the island itself is subject to some reforestation efforts.

    Why did we perform this survey, anyway?

    This survey was necessary to plan for the Alameda 2024 City-Wide Acorn Harvest; which is happening this September and October.

    Check out the Oak Tree Registration Form to learn more about how property owners with Oak Trees can contribute to our first annual acorn harvest.

    There are tons of opportunities for residents, local businesses, and organizations to participate in all of our 2024-2025 Cultural Arts & Educational Programming.

    Sign up for the Alameda 2024 City-Wide Acorn Harvest here.

    Open Call for Participation

    If you are a property owner with an Oak Tree on your property, check out this Oak Tree Registry Form to learn about the specific ways property owners can contribute to our harvest.

    Residents, Families, Friends, and Neighbors: Sign-Up for the Alameda 2024 City-Wide Acorn Harvest. Everyone is welcome!

    If you represent a local business, organization, class, school, or community group, or tribe, and you want to participate in planning, organizing, and/or any other aspect of these activities, reach out via email.

    Or, use the form below:

    Harvest/Oak Tree Contact Form

    [contact-form-7 id=”b1779e1″ title=”Oak Tree Harvest Survey Contact Form”]

  • 2024-2025 Cultural & Education Programming Announced!

    The Alameda Native History Project is proud to announce their Cultural & Educational Program Offerings for 2024-2025.

    2024 Acorn Granary Challenge

    Beginning July 1, 2024; and,
    Ending on July 31, 2024.

    Mix modern and traditional methods of acorn granary construction to create a semi-permanent structure which will hold the acorns from our First Annual Acorn Harvest.

    The challenge is creating something that will withstand the elements over winter.

    We will meet as a team to construct these Acorn Granaries. Together we will learn about the different kinds of Acorn Granaries; integrated pest management uses of California Native Plants; and how indigenous technology works to keep food safe for centuries.

    This is a series of free events which happens 10am-2pm Every Sunday in July.

    Sign Up Happening Now

    2024 Alameda “City-Wide” Acorn Harvest

    September – October 2024

    Take part in the First Annual Alameda Acorn Harvest.

    Learn about the ancient Live Oak Forests of this place now called “Alameda”.  Learn about the nutritional value and the cultural significance of acorns.

    There are a number of different ways in which everyone can participate. Please check out the list of roles available on the Sign-Up Form, right after our Community Guidelines.

    Snacks, Water, Coffee, and Lunch, will be provided.

    Sign-Up Now

    Alameda Native Food Lab: ACORNS!

    Multiple Sessions Held in March 2025

    Learn how to process acorns.

    Sample traditional Acorn Mush.

    Make different baked goods using Acorn Flour made from Alameda Oak Trees. Leave with your own Acorn Flour, and recipes to try at home!

    This session is Free!

    Tickets Available in September 2024

  • Indigenous Food Lab After Action Report

    Budget (Approx.): $1,250

    [– $400 facilities repairs and equipment purchases]

    Volunteers: 12
    Avg. Volunteers Per Day: 3

    Most Dedicated Award: Charles
    Above & Beyond Award: Farmer

    Mentor Award: Heather Galloway

    Leadership Award: Paige
    On The Spot Award: Lizette
    Generosity Award: John Jacque

    Special Guests: Misty (Lakota Night: Gugu Bread and Wajopi)
    Lois (Blue Corn Demo)
    Dwight Francisco (Talking Circle)

    Shout Outs: Clyde Hall, Irna, Claudia, Addy, Talon, Sierra, Daniel

    Sponsors: Native American Health Center
    Gay American Indians
    Haight Ashbury Food Program
    Native Solidarity Project
    2spirit Queer Alliance
    Alameda Native History Project
    Thousand Oak Acorn Company

    Grants from: Native American Health Center
    Amy Lang Trust “Two Spirit Community Education Grant“
    Our Private Donor (You can too!)

    Hosts: Waller Urban Retreat Center

    Special Thanks: Morning Star Vancil
    Johnson Livingston
    Randy Burns
    Galen Comerford
    Mel
    Bridie Johnson
    Xochitl
    Ish

    Total Meals: ~350

    Avg. Dinner Service: 30 people
    Largest Crowd: ~60

    Notes: None of this would have been possible without the genorosity, kindess, and work put in by all of you. It is with deep gratitude and humility that I say thank you to you all.

    See you next year!

    If you want to volunteer for next year’s Two Spirit Pride Week “Indigenous Food Lab”; or for other Indigenous Food Lab events, please sign up here on our Indigenous Food Lab mailing list to receive Indigenous Food Lab Updates and Opportunities.

    Indigenous Food Lab Updates

    Sign-Up Form:








  • Two Spirit Pride Week

    That’s what I’m calling the upcoming week of February 2nd.

    Alameda Native History Project has co-organized a number of different events going on all over the City of San Francisco.

    The most awesome of which are the Two Spirit Symposium on February 9th, and the Indigenous Food Lab from February 2nd to the 11th.

    Check out the list below for more information.

    Many events and happenings during Two Spirit Pride week are being held at the Waller Urban Retreat Center, in the Haight Ashbury District of San Francisco.

    The Waller Center is serving as a Pop-Up Native American Retreat Center during the week; as the Two Spirit Queer Alliance hosts GAI Alumni, Elders and Native Community Members from all over the nation.

    Check out the Two Spirit Momentum Calendar here to find out more about the Events Planned!

    Come by the Waller Center on February 10th for an After Powwow Feast!

  • New Map: Historic Alameda Ecology

    A Never-Before-Seen Map of Alameda’s Indigenous History

    Can you imagine elk running down Park Street?

    Cotton Tail Rabbits hopping among giant Live Oak trees on Grand?

    Gathering blackberries at Chochenyo Park?
    Oysters on Regent?
    Making tule boats at Alameda Point?

    This map combines historic elements to tell the story of Alameda before.

    Developed for elementary and middle-school students to learn about local indigenous history: this map shows Alameda–before it became an island–with selected plants and animals that lived and thrived here.

    These plants and animals include: Wildcats, Ducks, Blackberries, Deer, Flamingoes, and more!

    This map includes the historic wetlands of the Bay Area; and the Oyster Reef zones in Alameda, two never-before-seen layers of local history (until now.)

    This map is a tool that can help people imagine the ecosystems organizations like the Wild Oyster Project, and Save The Bay are working towards saving and restoring.

    Imagination is one of the strongest tools in the decolonization toolbox.

    One of the ways the Alameda Native History Project “Decolonizes History” is by developing, producing, and distributing accurate, relevant, and interesting educational materials for Classrooms, Community Centers, and Institutions.

    The Alameda Native History Project offers updated, often novel, and never-before-seen images, maps, and infographs about the Indigenous History of this place we call the “San Francisco Bay Area”.

    Our continued impact will be measured by the number of classrooms we connect with the maps and information educators want and need to fill the gaps in existing curriculum regarding local indigenous history.

    This will result in students who can finally receive the answer to the basic questions about Native American History. Questions, which–until now–have simply been glossed over or ignored in mainstream, sanitized, Social Science, History, and Arts & Humanities curriculums.

    The proceeds of this fundraiser will go towards putting one of these maps in every core/history class and school library in Alameda.

    If you make a minimum donation of $25, and include your mailing address in the comment on this donation form (your comment is private), you will receive a Historic Alameda Ecology Map.

    Donate $25

    5% of the cost of printing will go back to local Alameda schools.*

    You can have a direct impact on Decolonizing History, too!

    By providing tangible support for our mission, you can be the reason why people know this is Ohlone Land; why that makes it our responsibility to be good stewards to the land; and how important it is for us to respect Indigenous knowledge and lived experiences, and advocate for the return of sacred places, tribal objects, and ancestral remains.

    Alameda Native History Project is fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (d.b.a. Hack Club), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 81-2908499).

    *5% of total cost goes back to school via printer’s giveback program on a per transaction basis. We choose the Alameda school recipient.

  • First Meeting!

    Announcing our first meeting ever.

    Inaugural Meeting – Intro/Info Session

    January 27, 2024; 2-3 PM
    Get tickets at NativeHistory.eventbrite.com

    Join us for an informal and informative session where we’ll introduce ourselves, share important details, and answer any questions you might have.

    Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned local historian, this event is open to everyone interested in learning more about our community. We’ll discuss our goals, upcoming activities, and how you can get involved.

    Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and discover what makes our community special. Grab your favorite beverage, find a cozy spot, and come join us virtually!

    https://NativeHistory.eventbrite.com

    See you there!

    People who sign up for the mailing list get advanced notice of events like this one, and others. You can, too. Sign for our mailing list to stay in the loop!










    Stay tuned for more!

  • ANHP Receives Grant for Bay Area Indigenous Mapping Project

    The Alameda Native History Project is the proud recipient of a Native Solidary Project grant for our work mapping the Indigenous Bay.

    Our mapping project seeks to reverse the erasure, and inaccuracies promulgated by biased archeologists and flawed anthropological analysis.

    We do this by centering the indigenous knowledge and lived experiences in historical narratives about indigenous people by presenting those narratives from Indigenous People themselves.

    This grant will go towards printing educational materials, and putting them in classrooms, institutions, and community centers Alameda, and the Greater Bay Area.

    You can have a meaningful and direct impact in decolonizing history by supporting the printing and distribution of accurate, interesting, and educational Indigenous History materials to schools and other institutions in Alameda and the Greater Bay Area.

    Provide tangible support to our mission, to Decolonize History, by donating to the Alameda Native History Project.

    DONATE
    All of your donations are tax deductible.
    This project practices financial transparency.
    Alameda Native History Project is fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (d.b.a. Hack Club), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 81-2908499).

  • Alameda Native History Project Announces Fiscal Sponsorship

    Since Alameda Native History Project started as a small research project in 2019, it has been run using the pocket money of its founder, Gabriel Duncan.

    As the Alameda Native History Project started to become larger, and more established; being able to budget for upcoming events, meetings, classroom presentations, (and more) is becoming a vital part of operating day-to-day.

    While the model of giving away stickers and maps for donations is sustainable, it does not raise the amount of funding which would allow us to do the big projects and work the Alameda Native History Project is truly devoted to.

    Work like:

    • Correcting the inaccurate portrayals and misleading information presented by school districts, curricula, and even our local museums.
    • Developing and distributing Indigenous History Curriculum for Grades 3 & 4; and High Schools.
    • Engaging with the community to hold dialogues about our local indigenous history and strategize ways to engage everyone in the process of developing a community vision for the future which improves our present.
    • Empowering Youth and Elders to come together and share their stories and culture with each other in a way that begins to heal intergenerational trauma and restores the Continuum of Culture.
    • Recognizing that Oral Histories are a vital, integral part, of preserving our culture, elucidating our past, and helping the next generation forge their future while maintaining a connection to their ancestors, history, and culture.
    • Stimulate change, encourage experimentation with new and awesome ways to educate our youth about the pre-contact world, as well as the history of this place, which includes the voices and experience of those who lived it.
    • Provide access to, and training for next-gen equipment & software tribes can use to gather and create their own tribal data and databases, in a way that is sustainable, low-or-no-cost, and guarantees the Data Sovereignty of Tribes.
    • Providing funding, transportation, training and equipment for recording Oral Histories and documenting Elder Field Trips with Youth.
    • Give youth the guidance and knowledge they need to pursue their dreams, enhance their skills, and build the future they want to live in and leave for future generations. To let them meet and believe in themselves. And give them the space and reassurance to trust their instincts and know they are already our heroes.

    This is not a wish list of stuff we want to do….

    This is a list of programs/components which are already in development.

    The overlapping nature and community buy-in for these projects already exists; and the community strongly believes that this work is needed, and important, to the survival of Indigenous Culture, Knowledge, and History.

    The Alameda Native History Project is already beginning to plan and organize with other local organizations, educators, and change-makers to begin developing the programs and resources needed to achieve our goals.

    But we still need the funding for equipment like voice recorders, tribal computers, gps devices, student/youth stipends, remote-sensing equipment, software licenses, and more.

    Fiscal Sponsorship is a blessing

    Because of Fiscal Sponsorship, we will be able to apply for funding for our programs under the 501(c)(3) umbrella offered by our fiscal sponsors, The Hack Foundation.

    Alameda Native History Project is fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (d.b.a. Hack Club), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 81-2908499).

    This means that all donations we receive are now tax-deductible.

    You can also leave us a nice note when you donate. ♥

    We still have the same commitment to transparent financials.

    The Hack Foundation allows us to be even more fiscally transparent: you can now view our current balance, and review our expenditures through our page on the Hack Club website.

    We’d like to thank the Hack Foundation for this opportunity, the Native Solidarity Project for referring us, and the community–especially our elders, for believing in the work we’re doing.

    Stay tuned for special events and project announcements in 2024!

    Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive announcements and learn about opportunities to support our work.

  • PRESS RELEASE:

    Alameda Native History Project Calls On City of Alameda To Dedicate Park In Memory of Mario Gonzalez

    12/15/2023
    Alameda, California

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    On Thursday, December 14, 2023, the City of Alameda announced that it had reached an $11M settlement with the Estate of Mario Gonzalez, and a $350,000 settlement with Mario‘s Mother, to settle claims arising from the death of Mario Gonzalez, who was in Alameda Police custody when he died on April 19, 2021.

    While no amount of money will ever bring Mario Gonzalez back—and while this project considers $350,000 a paltry sum for the life of a son, father, brother, and care-taker—we applaud this settlement as the first step in seeking justice for Mario and his family.

    The City of Alameda, and the Alameda Police Department still have a long way to go repair the historic harms they have committed against all people of color. Even today, the City of Alameda, and especially the Alameda Police Department are still widely known for their unfair bias and treatment of non-white citizens and visitors to the island.

    As the City of Alameda, and the Alameda Police Department, reflect on what this settlement means to the status quo of their enforcement and policing, a permanent reminder should be put in place to help us all remember that every human life is precious, no matter who you are, or where you are from.

    We call on the City of Alameda to do three things now:

    1. Officially establish a Park (or “Parklet”) at Oak Street and Powell Street, where the Mario Gonzalez Memorial and ofrenda now stands;
    2. Name that park “Mario Gonzalez Memorial Park”;
    3. Affirm their commitment to protecting the people who live in, and visit, Alameda from excessive force, harm, and death at the hands of Alameda Police, or while in their custody.

    For more information about this release, or to support the effort to create the Mario Gonzalez Memorial Park, contact Gabriel Duncan, press@alamedanativehistoryproject.com, (510) 747-8423

    ###

    About the Alameda Native History Project

    Alameda Native History Project is a Two-Spirit, Native-run Organization based in Alameda, California, committed to combating anti-indigenous bias and inaccuracies in textbooks, museums, curricula, etc., in the San Francisco Bay Area, and beyond. Find us on Instagram, or on our website: AlamedaNativeHistoryProject.com

    Alameda is Muwekma Ohlone Territory.