Alameda Native History Project

Category: The Urban Reservation

  • Is Corrina Gould Really Related to Jose Guzman? How come she isn’t enrolled in Muwekma? (And other nosy questions, because Rachel Dolezal, and Elizabeth Warren)

    It’s rude to question someone’s pedigree, generally.

    But it’s a necessary challenge in Native America that every single one of us faces multiple times in our lives.

    We want to know who someone is related to when they say they’re Paiute, or Karkin–’cause they’re probably related to us somehow, or we know some of the same people. It’s a small world. We keep track of our own, and each other’s blood quantum. Because it’s important.

    But we also want to make sure that people aren’t coming in and faking. Collecting money for a cause, but really keeping it for themselves. Taking our benefits because the American Government did all these terrible things to us. (It’s a well established fact that the U.S. Government just said **** the treaties.)

    Claiming Native American Heritage when you don’t have any, is like wearing a Purple Heart you didn’t earn. Just like with wearing a medal you didn’t give a piece of yourself in the defense of this country to earn; owning and displaying eagle feathers is super illegal if you’re not Native American.

    But most of time there is no legitimate consequence for being a “fake indian”. There are so many cheap knock-off’s, and bad copies, I’m not surprised you can’t tell the difference.

    For example: Elizabeth Warren is a classic caricature of the “cherokee princess” scenario. And, apparently Ward Churchill was our Rachel Dolezal before she ever decided to put on black face. But, you know what? There are a lot of fake shaman and medicine men out there, feeding the world this mainstream, kumbaya B.S. about the colors of the wind or something; and collecting your money for some sus ceremony with a raggy owl wing.

    This is why we have a problem with Instragram Accounts like “NativeAmericanLovess”, or “NativeAmericanSpiritLoves”… They are fronts for stores that sell art that does nothing but fetishize real Native Americans; and make owning, wearing, and using our sacred ceremonial items a game.

    These people are making money off of our likeness, our trauma, and our pain. They are making cheap knock-offs of our culture, and identity. And White America is just eating it up. Shelling out bills to go to “Hiawatha” ceremonies. Paying to play Indian.

    And it’s the people who sell these images. The ones who say their grandma, six great-grandmas ago was Cherokee. Who went to one of those ceremonies, and smoked some tobacco with some other herbs out of a “peace pipe”, contacted their animal guide, and is now some kind of “ordained” “Native American Church” spiritual guru leader shaman chief medicine man.

    These are the people we want to stay away from us. The people we don’t want to share our knowledge and beliefs with. Because, these people, will appropriate it all, and try to find a way to make money off it.

    This might be an explanation of why we don’t want to talk about this stuff under the White Gaze. Because it’s “Indian Stuff”. But we can’t stand interlopers. This is why pedigree is important.

    But just because the person who made the argument is invalid, the argument itself is not necessarily invalid.

    As much as we hate to admit it, these people who made us look like fools also contributed greatly to their respective causes. And the organizations they were associated with ultimately survived the scandal. But neither Ward Churchill, nor Rachel Dolezal were who they said they were.

    And it wasn’t until years after they started their charades, that they were finally exposed. Up until then, people had been too afraid to ask, to timid to confront, past attempts had failed. It’s much easier to attack the person making the argument, than the argument itself.

    And people honestly want to believe the lie. It’s better than admitting to themselves they’ve been lied to this whole time. Better not to risk being wrong. Not be rude, or mean. Or look racist.

    But, let me be clear:

    Pedigree is necessary for Tribal Enrollment, and to receive State, and Federal Benefits. It’s a racist system, based in eugenics. It’s even more distasteful than it sounds, when you are subjected to it. [Yes, I have been subjected to this same test. Same level of scrutiny that every other person who claims to be Native American is subjected to.]

    We are turned into “subjects”.

    Equated with Hermann J. Muller’s radioactive flies.

    Maybe that’s too obscure….

    But it’s normal for us to ask each other who our grandmothers are, and how much Indian we are. It’s a standard test.

    So don’t act shook that I took the time to look into Corrina Gould’s genealogy. Maybe the “White Gaze” is afraid to ask. But, after Ward Churchill, and Rachel Dolezal…. And the discovery of Corrina Gould’s 1997 conviction for fraud…. I think it’s important to ask.

    Who are these people?

    Flora Freda Munoz, and Jose Guzman are two very well-known and important family members associated with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, and the Verona Band Proxy–which is the historical name for this group of inter-related Native American people, who used to live in the Alisal Rancheria (near the Verona train station, Pleasanton area), Niles, San Leandro… It’s a specific list because the BIA documents–mentioned below–stick to Indian Censuses, including one of a place called “Indian Town”, near pleasanton, in the late 1920’s. Researchers think this may be the Alisal Rancheria.

    Much of the information about the Muwekma Family Tree that I gathered was pieced together from the Proposed Finding, and Final Determination Upon The Criterion re: Federal Recognition of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, in 2011.

    Muwekma Ohlone Tribe Family Tree,
    using BIA Proposed Find and Final Determination re: Petition for Federal Recognition

    However, I later found the public Galvan Stenstrom Family Tree on Ancestry.com, and found that to be the most authoritative reference to the descendants of the Verona Band. Even so, I still compared it with the information in the BIA documents, as you will see later.

    The public Galvan Stenstrom Family Tree is massive. It has hundreds of individuals; was created, and contributed to by Muwekma Family members, as well as the Ancestry.com people… Who are based in Utah, by the way. It’s really amazing the amount of research that went into the families comprising the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. It’s truly crowd-sourced.

    To research Corrina Gould, I used Public Records, Newspapers, various statements and interviews of Corrina Gould, and litany of databases at Ancestry.com. I also found the “Gould Family Tree”. (More about that later.) In all cases, I began searching for the individual first, and didn’t discover or access the family trees until I wanted to check/challenge my work.

    Corrina Gould, “On the Record”

    In 2014, Corrina Gould contributed an autobiographical oral history to “Ohlone Elders & Youth Speak: Restoring a California Legacy”. In her contribution, Gould revealed her grandmother was “Flora Munoz”, and that her great grandfather was “Jose Guzman”.

    In 2015, in an interview regarding the canonization of Junipero Serra, Gould volunteered an explanation of how she was related to Andrew Galvan:

    “I’m actually related to Andy Galvan…” Gould explained Andrew Galvan is the docent at Mission Dolores, in San Francisco. She continued, “Our relation is that our grandmothers, six great-grandmothers back were sisters.”

    Corrina Gould, Episode 58 of “Iconocast”, recorded 09/23/2015.

    A more recent article, from May 25, 2021, states that Corrina Gould’s mother was taken to Chemawa Indian School, in Salem, Oregon.

    Oddly, it seems that Corrina Gould hasn’t mentioned her own mother by name. So, that was where I started.

    Statements about Corrina Gould’s family. (Mostly made by Gould herself.)

    I was able to find the Gould Family Tree, on Ancestry.com, after I had failed at finding any links to Flora Munoz or Jose Guzman in numerous Public Records searches.

    But I was able to find Gould’s late husband, Paul Gould Jr., and her late brother, Anthony Tucker. (Both died in the first half of 2021.) And her children, and children’s families. So, from public records, I was able to find Corrina Gould, her immediate family and brothers. I was not able to find any ancestry information.

    However, the information I found in public records helped me verify the Gould Family Tree, to a certain extent. On Ancestry.com, living people are masked. So the living descendants of Fred Edward Tucker, Paul Gould Sr., and Jesse L. Aceves were mostly hidden.

    There were hints, though. Like links to individuals who weren’t masked, who were already known. It didn’t take too much time to verify that I was looking at the family trees of Corrina Gould, and her, and her mother’s, first husbands.

    Don’t worry. I made charts.

    Excerpt from the “Gould Family Tree”. Problematic for obvious reasons.

    So, I found the Gould Family tree (excerpt above). But I also found it critically lacking in verifiable information. The birth and death date for “John Munoz” and “Victoria Marin” do not appear, for instance. [And John Munoz’s death date?! That says six years before Corrina’s mother was even born! WTFITS?!]…

    Flora Munoz–Corrina’s grandmother–isn’t refered to as “Flora Freda Munoz”, which is the true name of the Muwekma Family Member, who was the daughter of Victoria Marine.

    This is not an attempt at being facetious. Middle names matter. Try going to a bank with a court order to access your grandma’s safe deposit box, and being turned away because the judge didn’t include her middle name.

    It also matters because, on its face, the birth and death dates are already different. There’s a divergence between what Corrina Gould has said about her ancestry, and what bears out in the facts and evidence.

    Genealogy Logic Bomb

    This is where I started getting confused. There were at least two logic-bombs here; and I didn’t want to be misled by something that was probably put together really quickly, with the intention to correct later.

    I made a timeline of Joanne Guzman’s life, according to her daughter, Corrina Gould; so I could address one of Corrina Gould’s other claims, that Joanne Guzman had been taken to Chemawa Indian School.

    Joanne Guzman Timeline

    According to the established timeline of the Muwekma Tribe/Verona Band, the children of Flora Freda Munoz, and John “Jack” Guzman–John Jr. and Rayna–were sent to boarding school, twice. The first time in 1928, when Flora was sick. And the second was from 1944-1947 at the Chemawa Indian Highschool, when Corrina Gould’s mom, Joanne Guzman, was only 4.

    This means–according to this Ancestry.com thing: Corrina’s Uncle, John, would have been 8 in 1944. And her aunt, Rayna, would have been 6. None of Corrina Gould’s mom’s siblings were highschool age in the years between 1944, and 1947, when the Muwekma Family member John Guzman Jr., was determined to be 5/8 indian, and allowed to enroll in Chemawa–with his sister, Rayna, following a year later.

    Although, a typographical error in the 1940 US Census marks Joanne Guzman as “2” or “0”, the Birth Certificate for “Joan” Guzman, dated Jan-7-1940 helps add clarity; when the Father and Mother’s names are taken into full account.

    Examination of “Joanne Guzman’s” Family
    Informational Copy of Joanne Guzman’s Birth Certificate
    1940 US Census of Washington Township, Alameda County

    It wasn’t until I pulled the hard copies of both Corrina (Tucker) Gould, and Joanne Guzman’s birth certificates, that I was really able to illustrate the differences between the two families.

    Once that was done, I pulled together all of the dates, and sources, and put them back into another chart, so I could compare the information side-by-side.

    From this comparison, it appears that these are two different family trees. And, while the names of Joanne Guzman’s family, match those of Flora Freda Munoz, and John Guzman’s: they are not the same.

    But let’s look closer at Joan Guzman’s birth certificate:

    Guzman, Joan (Birth Certificate)Official Muwekma Records
    Mother: 22 (1918)Flora Freda Munoz: 1917
    Father: 37 (1903)John Paul “Jack” Guzman: 1902
    These dates match within a year. Only one “Joan Guzman” was born in Alameda County between 1940, and 1944.

    After reviewing this information, and comparing it to the Ancestry.com “Gould Family Tree”, it looks like the Gould Family tree is super wrong… But Joanne Guzman might really be the unknown daughter of the Jose Guzman and Flora Freda Munoz!

    There is still the issue of the Guzman Family in the 1940 US Census…

    Name, Relation to Head, Gender, Race, Age, [Approx. Birth Year]
    Guzman John, Head, M, W, 37, [1903]
    Flora, Wife, F, W, 23, [1917]
    John “Jr.”, Son, M, W, 4, [1936]
    Rayna, Daughter, F, W, 2, [1938]
    Joanne [check mark], Daughter, F, W, [two crossed out] 0, [1940]

    Wait….

    Before we solve this… I need to remind you that John Guzman Jr., and Rayna Guzman were both “Highschool Age” (13 or 14), in 1944, and 1945 respectively–when they were sent to Chemawa Indian School, which was a highschool since 1927.

    This means John Guzman Jr. was born sometime around 1931/32; Rayna Guzman around 1933/34.

    Or, just counting back four years from 1944, John Guzman Jr. would be about 10, making Rayna about 9.

    Joanne’s
    Birth Certificate    		Official Muwekma1940 US Census
    John Guzman361902 (38)37
    Flora Munoz221917 (23)23
    John Guzman Jr.null[10]4
    Rayna Guzmannull[9]2
    Joanne Guzman0null0
    [Discussed above.] Joanne’s birth cert. only has parental info.
    No official Muwekma Documents mention Joanne Guzman.

    So, First Actions On:

    1. Downgrade “Gould Family Tree” to “Unreliable”. (Even though the birth info for Joanne Guzman was legit.)
    2. Marvel at how similar these two families really are (in name only.)
    3. Note the age differences between the ages of Flora Freda Munoz’ family, and Flora Munoz’ family.
    4. Joanne Guzman is still not listed in any official Muwekma Records.
    5. Joanne Guzman is found in the 1940 U.S. Census, in a family bearing almost the exact same names as Flora Fred Munoz’ family.
    6. Decide whether it’s more likely that Corrina Gould’s mother is the long lost daughter of John Paul “Jack” Guzman, and Flora Freda Munoz; or the exact match Joanne Guzman, born in 1940, to a family with principally the same names as the aforementioned.

    Given the age differences between Joanne’s siblings, to the established ages of John Guzman Jr., and Rayna Guzman in 1944, it seems unlikely that Corrina Gould’s mother–Joanne Guzman–is related to Flora Freda Munoz, or John Paul “Jack” Guzman.

    This would also suggest Corrina Gould is not related to Andrew Galvan.

    While it is true that Corrina Gould’s grandmother really is “Flora Munoz”; and that her mother’s family, closely resembles a well known Muwekma family:

    No direct evidence was found that ties Corrina Gould to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, or the Verona Band.

    However:

    [Update added on May-29-2023]

    Alan Leventhal—Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Ethno-Historian and Archeologist–confirmed at the December 6, 2022 Indigenous Listening Session of the Alameda City Council, that Corrina Gould is related to the tribe.

    The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, has recently confirmed that Corrina Gould is a recognized descendant of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

    It’s also true that Corrina Gould could be enrolled in the Muwekma Tribe.

    It would be great to see Corrina drop the façade and actually fight for, and help contribute to her real tribe; because, right now, she’s managed to take all the attention and support away from the people she actually belongs to.

  • Corrina Gould Convicted of Defrauding Alameda County, in 1997, Ordered to Pay $5,275

    On April 17, 1997, Corrina Gould was convicted in Alameda County Criminal Court, for:

    willfully and knowingly, with the intent to deceive, by means of false statement or representation, or by failing to disclose a material fact, or by impersonation or other fraudulent device, obtained or retained [more than $950] aid under the provisions of this division for himself or herself or for a child not in fact entitled thereto.”

    California Welfare & Institutions Code Sec. 10980(C)2

    Gould was sentenced to jail time, and fined.

    There was also a civil judgment against Corrina Gould for the amount of $5,275 dollars, which was entered by her own confession:

    I hereby confess… [d]efendant fraudulently received public assistance benefits from Alameda County that [she] was not entitled to by submitting false written statements under penalty of perjury.”

    Corrina Gould, “Statement and Declaration for Confession of Judgment”, Alameda County Civil Case Number 1997002685

    It is unclear how long Gould spent in jail.

    The case file was destroyed pursuant to the law which governs case file retention. (Information about the offense, and Gould’s subsequent conviction is still available in the Alameda County Superior Court Criminal Index.)

    Alameda County Superior Court Criminal Records Search (SEP-21-2021) for “Corrina Gould”

    But the Welfare & Institutions Code statute Corrina was sentenced by enumerates terms of imprisonment as 16 months, 2 years, and 3 years, or “a fine of not more than $5,000,” or both. The Criminal Index indicated Corrina Gould’s sentence as “Sentence: 001 jail and fined.”

    Corrina Gould was also sentenced to 36 months of probation for defrauding Alameda County Social Services. The exact dollar amount Gould illegally obtained is unknown.

    At the time of Corrina Gould’s conviction for Welfare Fraud, she was working at the American Indian Family Healing Center, in Oakland, California. She would later work for the American Indian Child Resource Center, as a Title VII Coordinator. It’s unclear if either organization knew of Corrina Gould’s conviction for this type of fraud; or, whether or not Gould was involved in filing claims, and/or applying for benefits on behalf their clients.

    Today, Corrina Gould is the spokesperson for Sogorea Te Land Trust, and Confederated Villages of the Lisjan, INC. She was also a co-founder of Indian People Organizing for Change.

    Sources and Links:

    County of Alameda V. Corrina Gould

    Alameda County Superior Court, Civil Case #1997002685
    County of Alameda V Gould
    County of Alameda V Gould Judgment Pursuant to Confession
    County of Alameda V Corrina Gould #1997002685
    Corrina Gould Confession of Judgment
    Corrina Gould Signed Confession (SSN Redacted)
    Attorney Certification

    Use DomainWeb to view Alameda County Superior Court Documents online.

    Alameda County Superior Court

    re: Corrina Gould, Alameda County Criminal Case #403554

    Alameda County Courts website is at Https://alameda.courts.ca.gov

  • Independent Alameda Native History Project Develops First 3D Shellmound Model

    Local Native American-led Research Project Aims to Educate Public, Advocate for Shellmounds

    Click here to skip the article and download the Alameda Native History Project Shellmound Model, made by Gabriel Duncan.

    For the first time ever, an entirely independent research project, led by a Native American descendant, has produced a tangible representation of pre-contact Native American Spirituality and Engineering.

    Shellmounds, up until now, have largely only been talked about as a theoretical object, which “used to exist.” And shellmounds have been used as a tool to gain funding, and political influence.

    As a descendant of California Native Americans, adopted out of my tribe at birth, raised by white people, and growing up in a place like Alameda–which is a “good ole boy” town, and known for it’s white racist, residents, and it’s over-policing of people of color….

    As all of that…

    I needed more than these pretty words and vagaries.

    More than a rock in the middle of Lincoln Park, in Alameda, Commemorating the Ohlone Shellmound the City of Alameda dug up and used to pave Bay Farm Road.

    When public figures speak about shellmounds, they are referred to in terms of what shellmounds symbolize.

    We’re given a rosy, idealized, wash of what life was like in the San Francisco Bay Area before the Spaniards and “White People” came.

    It’s very light on details, but gives us just enough to sort of “dream” of what life was like.

    This is all well and good if you’re not that interested.

    If all you wanted was a simple answer to the question of,

    “What happened to those shellmounds in Emeryville and Alameda?“
    “Where was the shellmound in West Berkeley?“

    But some people want to know what it looked like, really. In the sense of being able to know where things were. Being able to see what kind of plants were growing at that time (some plants and animals have gone extinct in the intervening 300 or so years.)

    Some people would like to see the same attention devoted to Native American History, Research, Preservation, Conservation, and Education that has been devoted to:
    Bodie State Historic Park
    Bodie, California
    • Old Mining Towns
    • Victorian Houses
    • Military Forts and Installations
    • Warships
    • Mount Rushmore
    • Stone Mountain
    • Arlington National Cemetery
    • Foreign Archeology & Anthropology

    We’re entering an era of what could be considered “Salvage Archiving“, or something of the sort.

    Where an impetus should be placed on saving those withered, orphaned pages, plastered to the back of shelves, and in the dark grimy corners of filing cabinets. Getting those pages archived, digitally. Creating new renditions of old data and information, in modern formats. In high-fidelity.

    Why? Because they’re primary sources.

    The last scribbled field notes, and crumpled photographs that are almost lost to history; but which carry the little bits and pieces glossed over by researchers who were never looking for more than statistical data, or a PhD. Or who just hunted for the citation, without bothering to read and comprehend the rest.

    These bits of real world meta- and scrape-data…

    We need our histories, language, and secrets, to help us re-imagine what a De-Colonized Future really looks like. To help us repatriate the ancestors being returned to us from these museums and universities. And we need land back, so we can have a place to bury our ancestors, and let them rest in peace.

    Native American History and Culture was taken away from the First Californians.

    It was cataloged and scattered around the world, to different museums, universities, and private collections. Everything from our oral histories to our ancestors’ bodies are in pieces.

    This is our inheritance.
    Our family property.

    It should not have to take feats of academic, and legal, scholarship to gain access to our own language, history, and the physical bodies of our ancestors.

    But not everybody knows they’re family…

    There was a time in America where white-passing Hispanic people claimed to be White, and light-skinned Native Americans pretended to be Mexican.

    This was because Native Americans who were caught in public, off the reservation, could be subject to arrest–where a white man could “buy an Indian” as a slave–forced on to a nearby reservation, or just killed on the spot.

    Indian Census Roll

    Mexicans and Spaniards were allowed agency, and relative freedom, when compared to the possibility of being criminalized and sold into slavery, or killed.

    So that’s why many Native Americans declared Mexican ancestry, and took Spanish last names, or married into those families: to hide from the terror and racism Native Americans were subjected to by the American Government.

    It wasn’t until recently that people started talking about their abuelitas,

    “I think mentioning something that they were really some part American Indian, or Native American?”

    These people, with surprise ancestry, or “hidden heritage” cannot be discounted. They have been completely oblivious to their own ties to this land, and these shellmounds.

    But, an awakening is happening, the veil of [necessary?] secrecy is finally being lifted.

    This begs to question the fairness of gate-keeping.

    Tuibun Village Reproduction
    Coyote Hills Regional Park
    Fremont, California
    • Shouldn’t the living descendants of these ancestors be given the opportunity to visit, experience, and learn about all of these things?
    • Is it really the role of anyone to deny them their birth rite, or the ability to at least find some solace or peace within themselves; because here is a place where they can pilgrimage to learn about themselves?
    • How can we really expect to know what “rematriation” or “land back” looks like, if we don’t even know what Native Land looks like (outside of vast pictures of forests, and dingy shots of dust-swept reservations?)

    How can we teach ourselves, and each other about what Native Land really is, without being able to visit it, or even talk about what they look like?

    Examples like the diorama of the Tuibun (Ohlone) Village at Coyote Hills Regional Park, in Fremont, California, are invaluable to helping one imagine, envision or just “picture what it was like.”

    There is more than one type of “estranged”, or,
    “dis-enfranchised” Native American….

    Strange word, “dis-enfranchised”.

    There are Native Americans who were adopted, who grew up outside of their communities.

    People who never chose to be separated from their people, and Tribe. People who were never given the opportunity to be reunited. Sometimes forever.

    As a descendant of California Native Americans, adopted out of my tribe at birth, raised by white people, and growing up in a place like Alameda–which is a “good ole boy” town, and known for it’s white racist, residents, and it’s over-policing of people of color….

    As all of that…

    I needed more than these pretty words and vagaries.

    More than a rock in the middle of Lincoln Park, in Alameda, Commemorating the Ohlone Shellmound the City of Alameda dug up and used to pave Bay Farm Road.

    The symbolism of shellmounds is tied to colonization, and landback, and rematriatrion, and gardens.

    But this only uses shellmounds as a strawman, an existential fallacy. Because the argument is only ever over places where shellmounds have been destroyed.

    But what about the other shellmounds?

    Shellmounds still exist in the San Francisco Bay Area

    Every article says the San Francisco Bay Area had at least 425 Shellmounds. But these rely on the recitation of the same, stale facts. The main narrative, and recurring implication, is that, all the shellmounds have been destroyed, and there’s nothing left but three locations in the San Francisco Bay Area:

    • Emery Bay outdoor mall, in Emeryvile, California;
    • Glen Cove, in Vallejo, California; and,
    • Spenger’s Parking Lot, in Berkeley, California….

    Because the mission of the Alameda Native History Project was to discover what happened to the Alameda Shellmounds; and that, of course lead to researching other Shellmound locations, I learned: of these three locations, only the shellmound in Emeryville is the correct location.

    Alameda Native History Project map showing true location and observed (approximate) dimensions of West Berkeley Shellmound.

    Upon closer inspection both Glen Cove and West Berkley Shellmounds exist, or existed about 100 feet away from the locations Corrine Gould has alleged, on average. Which wouldn’t be such a big deal if there weren’t huge protests and millions of dollars spent in legal battles over protecting a thing that wasn’t even there. It’s not even a masked-man fallacy. But it’s close. (Especially in West Berkeley.)

    This brought about frank questions like, How come Corrine Gould is only interested in Shellmounds that are already destroyed? How come her groups aren’t interested in protecting other shellmounds, like the four at San Rafael Rock Quarry? (She went out to Miwok Territory, despite the fact she’s Ohlone and occupied Glen Cove Park, without the permission or endorsement of the real tribes who’s territory Vallejo falls in.)

    Is it just easier to advocate for seizing parking lots? An open space can fit hundreds of protestors, and garner much more attention, when it’s in the middle of a city. Places like outdoor malls, and the center of a shopping district are perfect for garnering public attention. Maybe that’s why more remote mounds in places like Contra Costa and Marin county haven’t been advocated for?

    Regardless of the new questions the research has uncovered, the Alameda Native History Project has a self-proclaimed mission to educate the public about shellmounds, and provide detailed, actionable information for their preservation, and protection.

    As such, this project will continue to produce and release educational and research materials; to bring attention to all San Francisco Bay Area Shellmounds, and advocate for their protection.

    But it’s hard to do that when the leading voice is trying to limit, or stifle the discussion about Shellmounds, to the point of providing incorrect information about their locations.

    So let’s start with this:

    What is a shellmound?

    A lot of people wanted to know, “What is a shellmound? What does a shellmound look like? How big were the shell mounds?”

    And, while one could spend time curating schematics, maps, and historical images there are truths which reveal themselves.

    Basic traits of a shellmound….

    1. Shellmounds range anywhere from about 3 to 70 feet tall.
    2. Shellmounds have a diameter of about 10 to 300 feet.
    3. Shellmounds have a distinctive domed shape,
      usually with a pavillion, and a ramp or walk-way down one side.
    4. Each shellmound accounts for hundreds to thousands of Native Americans.
      Around 2,000 people were buried in the Emeryville Shellmound.
    5. Shellmounds are not trash heaps.
    6. Shellmounds are burial grounds.
    7. Shellmounds are sacred burial structures, built by the first occupants of the San Francisco Bay Area.
    8. Over 425 shellmounds existed in the San Francisco Bay Area.
    9. Only a few dozen shellmounds still remain, intact, and undisturbed.

    ANHP Shellmound Model
    Featured in Augmented-Reality

    Available Shellmound Models

    This video has loud background noise.

    There are two Shellmound Models available. They are version 2.5, and 2.6, respectfully.

    Version 2.6 is in .REAL format, which is used with Adobe Aero, a mobile-based Augmented Reality platform.

    Version 2.5 is in USDZ format. Universal Scene Description is used by Pixar (among other companies); and is now a native 3D Object Format for both iOS and Android 3D Object Viewer.

    These shellmound models were created for educational, and research purposes. Commercial use of this model is strictly prohibited. When featuring this model, please include the following citation:

    “Shellmound Model created by Gabriel Duncan.”

    Shellmound Model v.2.5(download)
    Android / iOS (.usdz)
    Shellmound Model v.2.6(download)
    Adobe Aero (.real) (in-app)
    Info about Adobe Aero “Adobe Aero Get Started” on the Adobe website.

    Let us know how you use the Shellmound Model!

    Tag your AR experience on Instagram using @AlamedaNativeHistoryProject!

    Send us a note, share your stories via collab@alamedanativehistoryproject.com!

  • Tribal Groups of the San Francisco Bay Region (and How To Pick a Tribal Consultant)

    Tribal Groups of the San Francisco Bay Region. Compiled and Plotted by Gabriel Duncan, for the Alameda Native History Project.
    Version 2.1.5.8.21

    “Tribal land claims are complex, and overlapping.”

    You’ve probably heard that before.

    While one group may be the most vocal about claiming their ancestral land, rest assured, there are other groups who claim that exact same place.

    While it’s true Indigenous People shared many spaces with each other for a plethora of reasons, including mutual survival, the actual “Tribes” in the San Francisco Bay Area were formed thousands of years ago.

    In spite of the fact that the California Native American Heritage Commission recognized corporations as Tribes, it’s important for you to recognize the difference between a corporation and a Tribe.

    This is especially important Today; when seeking out indigenous people and tribes to consult with on various projects like land acknowledgements, cultural easements, land back, or deciding whether or not to pay into a “land tax” scheme.

    When seeking a Tribal Consultant:

    It’s totally appropriate to ask if someone is an enrolled member or a recognized descendant of a tribe.

    Indigenous People/Native Americans/First People can all do something that the Bureau of Indian Affairs refers to as “Establishing Indian Ancestry”.

    Proving our Ancestry, or Blood Quantum, is a common challenge Native Americans face. It may not be right, but it’s the reason we know who our nearest Full Blooded Relative is.

    Blood Quantum is an ugly, racist concept. [A tribe is made of family. That’s how tribes work.]

    But it’s how we separate the Elizabeth Hoovers and Ward Churchills from actual Indigenous People.

    “Who’s your grandmother?” Is one of the most common questions you get asked when you talk about the rez. We keep track of who is who. It’s not hard, because it’s such a small world. But, even if we aren’t close, we’re still native; and we still look out for each other.

    It’s appropriate to ask someone basic questions about their tribe, such as:

    1. What is the name of your tribe?
    2. Where is your tribe from?
    3. Who is your Tribal Chairperson?
    4. Are you enrolled in your tribe?

    If they are a Tribal Chairperson, it’s okay to ask them how long their term is, and when the next elections will be held.

    If this person represents a group of tribes or villages, they should tell you which villages they represent without you having to ask.

    Tribal Consultants are Affiliated with a Tribe

    It’s true that the Native American Heritage Commission is the agency in California which determines the proper Tribes To Consult for NAGPRA and Planning Purposes.

    But, the Native American Heritage Commission does not seem to vet the lists, judging by how many corporations are considered not only Tribes, but the “Most Likely Descendant” to Native American Burial Grounds and Cultural Resources.

    Land Trusts, and Consulting Agencies are not real Tribal Consultants because Corporations are Not Tribes.

    Corporations cannot be Tribal Governments because the exercise of sovereign powers is not a charitable purpose. Sovereign powers include the right to repatriation of remains, as declared in the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Rights, article 12.

  • N.C. Nelson Shellmounds Coastlines: Then vs. Now

    This map was really hard to conform using present-day landmarks.

    Not only has sea-level risen considerably in the past 112 Years; but much of the coast line noted in the Coastal Survey has eroded, or used as fill, to erase much of what was open water along the San Francisco Bay Area Shorelines.

    This is something that was especially noted in later studies of Bay Area Shellmounds: the possibilty that a mound which had been observed in 1908, was probably lost to the sea by erosion, before the 1970’s and 1980’s.

    The changing topography of the Coasts, rising sea level, and dredging and landfill (among other things) have made it futile to argue about some places, like West Berkeley; where no one has a good idea of where the West Berkeley Shellmound actually was, despite the address of Second & Hearst given to it.

    People would rather argue over the location of Strawberry Creek, and it’s accompanying marsh instead of taking another hour or two to just read the studies, and find the specific location.

    Other mounds did not have the luxury of being named specifically. For instance, the Fernandez site, a shellmound situated in the Rodeo, California area, a little South-West of Martinez, California did have a partial coordinate address mentioned. But, when the coordinated are viewed, the location hovers over the waters off San Pedro Point.

    There is also another mound, which was located in the bay, around where Midshipman Point is, which is just gone. No mention of whether the mound was actually standing in 1908, whether it was covered by water, or used to fill the area south of California State Route 37, where it meets the Lakeville Highway.

    Furthermore, trying to rectify Nelson’s map to the shoreline of the interior of the San Francisco Bay Area was even more difficult, considered about half of the shorelines are artificial. That is: the shorelines have either been filled or dredged, and do not match the historic shorelines. This made it very hard to judge the specificity of the locations of the shellmounds mapped by Nelson.

    Nelson (1909) Map, rectified to Present Day Map of San Francisco Bay Region.

    But, by using 29 control points, I’ve managed to rectify the map to the best of my ability.

  • Stop fighting with each other; unite and fight colonization!

    Recognize the Urban Reservation, and envision an Intertribal Future for the San Francisco Bay Area.

    An open plea for togetherness, and effective organizing; and for the protection of all shellmounds in the San Francisco Bay Region.

    After checking out Timbisha Shoshone Tribe v. Salazer, in the United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia, No. 11-5049, decided May 15, 2012, one major thing popped out to me, that seems to be a recurring theme–other than lack of standing, and failure to state a cause of action…

    In-fighting. Sabotage.

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  • What is the “Urban Reservation”?

    The Urban Reservation

    Parsing History from Actuality

    First post. And a definition of the concept of an, “Urban Reservation”.

    The Urban Reservation, to me, is a place that can be quickly defined as analogous to the American idea of the “ghetto“. The distribution of ethnicity is unimportant; the defining point is that these areas do not offer enough food [external], jobs, or services (ranging from water & sanitation, to healthcare.)

    Let’s be clear, though: American Ghettos were created by Redlining, Segregation, “Black-listing”, White Flight, just… rampant racism.

    Here’s an article from EconoFact.org, “Concentrated Poverty and the Disconnect Between Jobs and Workers“, which is pretty detailed. I pulled together a couple of other articles, and linked them at the bottom of this page.

    Other forms of ghettos exist. Some rural areas closely match the defining properties of ghettos. The only difference is that these areas suffer because of low population density–State and Federal funding is usually allotted by population; therefore, less populated areas receive less funding. Smaller populations also do not attract large corporations. Industry in rural areas is generally mineral, and agriculturally based; and introduces pollutants, and negatively impacts community and environmental health in myriad ways.

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