Alameda Native History Project

Tag: food sovereignty

  • First Annual Acorn Harvest Will Go Through November

    We’re thrilled to share the progress of the First Annual Acorn Harvest, a groundbreaking initiative that’s bringing together a diverse group of volunteers from across the local community.

    Our shared goal? To revive ancient foodways and reconnect with the natural environment that sustains us.

    Through this collaborative effort, we’re not only preserving traditional knowledge but also providing a tangible way for community members to give back and make a positive impact.

    By working together, we’re fostering a deeper appreciation for the land, its resources, and the indigenous cultures that have thrived here for centuries.

    The Acorn Harvest is more than just an event – it’s a movement that embodies the spirit of community, sustainability, and cultural revitalization. Here’s what’s next:

    • The acorns we harvest will be stored over winter, allowing us to preserve the bounty of the season.
    • In the spring, we’ll process the acorns using traditional methods, preparing them for culinary use.
    • We’re excited to announce a culinary series featuring traditional and contemporary Native American cuisine, with a focus on acorn-based dishes! Think traditional acorn mush or dumplings, acorn pumpkin muffins, and more.
    • But that’s not all – we’ll also be exploring international acorn dishes, including Korean Acorn Jelly (dotorimuk) and other global specialties. Do you have a favorite acorn recipe to share? We’d love to hear from you!

    Join us on this journey as we rediscover the flavors and traditions of Native California.

    Stay tuned for updates, and get ready to harvest, learn, and grow with us!

    Join Us on the Harvest!

    Wednesday and Sunday, from 9am to 12pm.

    We’re gathering a diverse group of volunteers to help bring back ancient foodways and reconnect with the natural environment. Whether you’re interested in harvesting acorns, sorting and packing, or helping with transportation and installation, we have a role for you!

    Join our team and contribute your skills and energy to:

    • Harvesting fallen and ripe acorns
    • Sorting and packing acorns for storage
    • Transporting people and acorns to and from harvest sites
    • Installing acorn granaries with our Indigenous Land Lab partners
    • And more!

    We’re excited to share this experience with you! We welcome volunteers of all abilities and backgrounds to join our community-driven effort.

    Sign up for the Acorn Harvest team now and be a part of this exciting journey!

    Acorn Harvest Signup

  • First Annual Acorn Harvest Begins

    Alameda Native History Project is proud to partner with our awesome and enthusiastic and diverse community for Alameda’s First Annual Acorn Harvest!

    Acorn season is upon us!

    The streets are filled with the sounds of foraging. The crunching and munching of squirrels chewing on acorns forms a surprisingly backtrack on a slow weekend morning.

    This is Alameda’s present-day urban forest.

    You may have never noticed it before. But Alameda is full of oak trees. It’s during acorn season that we’re reminded la bolsa de Encinal is still here.

    Acorns have not been readily available as a food source for over 100 years.

    The Alameda Native History Project seeks to reopen the local indigenous foodways of Alameda and the East Bay.

    The acorns we harvest together will be used to fill the Acorn Granary at the Alameda Point Collaborative Farm2Market.

    They will stay in the granary over winter. And we will process the acorns in spring.

    Some of the Acorn Flour and Acorn Meal which we will produce will be used as the featured ingredient of our culinary series. Some will be offered to local Native American Organizations and Tribes. A limited amount Acorn Flour and Acorn Meal will be offered to the public for fundraising.

    Harvest teams are forming now. You’re invited!

    We’re excited to share this opportunity with you to be a part of our Acorn Harvest Team. Whether you’re looking for a fun outdoor activity, a chance to connect with nature, or a way to help revitalize a food pathway which hasn’t been readily available for over 100 years, we welcome you to join our team!

    Here’s what we’re doing:

    • Sorting Acorns: Help us sort acorns by size and quality.
    • Harvesting Acorns: Collect acorns that have fallen from trees.
    • Scooping and Bagging Acorns: Help us scoop and bag acorns for storage.
    • Packing Acorn Granaries: Assist us in packing acorns into granaries for long-term storage.

    Sign-up using the First Annual Acorn Harvest Sign-Up Form.

    We welcome volunteers of all abilities and will work to accommodate your needs. Whether you prefer to work from a seated position or are able to assist with physical tasks, we have opportunities for everyone to contribute.

    Join us for a fun and rewarding experience that will connect you with your community and the natural world. Let us know which tasks you’re available for and any accommodations you may need.

    Harvest Team Sign-Up!

    Support the First Annual Acorn Harvest by donating to the Alameda Native History Project.

    By supporting this project, you are helping to revive a forgotten food source and reconnect with the rich cultural heritage of our region. Together, we can reclaim the acorn as a symbol of community, sustainability, and cultural resilience. Join us in this effort to rebuild our local indigenous foodways and create a more equitable and sustainable food system for all.

    Your contribution will directly support our acorn harvest and processing efforts, as well as our culinary series and partnerships with local Native American organizations, community organizations, and tribes. We are grateful for your trust in our work and your commitment to our community.

    Support the Acorn Harvest!

  • July 2024 Acorn Granary Challenge

    Free First Session Kicks Off Sunday July 7th; and Lasts All Month!

    Come join the Alameda Native History Project, as we build granaries for the First Annual Acorn Harvest!

    The Acorn Granary Challenge is a month-long series of free events which takes place on every Sunday at 10AM.

    Snacks and water will be provided.

    Reserve your space for free on our eventbrite page.

    What is an Acorn Granary?

    Acorn Granaries are traditional
    California Native food storage systems.

    • Granaries were made all over California. – The acorn was one of the single most important food items in California.
    • “Hanging Basket” stores acorns off the ground. – Some tribes built platforms to perch granaries atop of. But not all granaries were suspended.
    • Material defines shape. – Some granaries are made with twisted stems, blades, and vines to form a Coil Basket (or “Birdnest” design. ) Others are made with small bushells of wild grass and thatched into an “Inverted Basket” (or, Thatched-Cone Design.)
    • Holds acorns overwinter. – An Acorn Granary must be resilient enough to hold Acorns over the winter. Repaired and reused over many seasons.
    • Basket-in-shell design. – Every granary is created with an outer shell made from strong, natural material resistant to animals and insects.

    Hands-On Learning Experience and Cultural Exchange

    Learn about the different plants used to make Acorn Granaries; and how pests were managed before GMO and RoundUp.

    Learn how to split willow to make reeds, experiment with creating the different kinds of Acorn Granaries. Strategize how to keep out squirrels, crows, and other hungry critters!

    Each week will have a different focus, as we move through the steps of Acorn Granary Construction, and preparing for the harvest.

    From splitting willow to making various cordage, and thatching wild grass: We will work with a mix of materials old and new. And also address the non-native plant and their uses in construction and pest management.

    Most of the material gathering will take place at the Indigenous Land Lab, and the processing of cordage, thatching of wild grasses, and splitting willows will happen in town, during the Granary Construction.

    This is meant to be a very mellow and open-ended process that frankly invites a little bit of creativity, and welcomes a contemporary breath of fresh air.

    And we’re also open to this process taking longer than a month.

    Here’s a ballpark timeframe for construction and harvest preparation.

    • June-July: Gather Materials and Build Acorn Granaries
    • August-September: Continue to prepare for Harvest, Monitor Oak Trees
    • October-November: Harvest Acorns! Fill, Complete & Install Granaries

    Why Are We Making The Granaries Now?

    The main goal here is to be totally ready by the time the acorns start to fall!

    This is why we’re creating the granaries now: So we can harvest, sort, and pack our acorns into these granaries as efficiently as possible.

    But, we also want to give ourselves the greatest chance of success by using multiple granaries of varying construction materials and methods. This will also give us some data to analyze and use to plan for next year!

    Please join us for some or all of these events!

    Everyone is welcome!

    Reserve Your Space at the Acorn Granary Challenge Here.

    To learn more about the Indigenous Land Lab, and how you can volunteer to gather more materials for granary construction:

    Visit the Indigenous Land Lab Page, or email collab@nativehistoryproject.org!

  • Indigenous Land Lab Begins

    This is less a news event, than this is a prayer for healing, learning, and success. I’m humbled and ecstatic to say the Indigenous Land Lab is happening.

    There is land for a lab. With amazing potential. There are seeds. And water.  We are ready to begin.

"All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today."

    The plan, right now, is to have a (mini) propagation lab, small nursery, and 3 Sisters x Victory Demo Garden.

    And all of it will be made from the ground up.

    What a great place to start. This is exciting.

    You can share in this awesome journey, too!

    Bring gloves, a hat, and your waiver. LOL. (No, for real, it’s for our fiscal sponsor.)

    We’ll provide water, some shade, and (hopefully) lunch during official workdays. (At least snacks!)

    We would love for you to join us!

    If you would like to sign up to work on the Indigenous Land Lab with us, please use this Indigenous Plant Lab Role Selection form:

    https://forms.gle/zCe8ab5VnPwQDJYMA

    You can support the Indigenous Land Lab in other ways, too!

    The first, of course, would be by donating landscaping & gardening equipment you no longer use. But, we would be especially grateful for the use of your walk-behind “brush mower”, “brush hog” or “rotor cutter”.

    The land we have is wild, and untamed. It’s overgrown with invasive grass, some hemlock, and a random shrub or two. This is why our list sounds more like a fire crew equipment list than what you’d expect for an established garden.

    Here’s a list of what we would really like to get our hands on:

    Tools

    • Metal Rakes
    • Shovels
    • Pickaxes
    • Hoes & Scrapers
    • Chingaderas (a fire tool good for “extracting deep rooted fuels”)
    • Post drivers
    • Saws (hacksaw, chainsaw)

    Equipment

    • A walk-behind Brush Mower/Brush Hog/Rotocutter
    • Rototiller
    • Supply locker/chest/weatherproof box

    Supplies

    • Chicken-wire
    • Fence Posts

    If you wish to donate any of these tools, or if you have other tools you’d like to donate:

    Please send us an email ( collab@nativehistoryroject.org ) so we can arrange a good time to come to you, receive your generous donation, and supply you with a donation receipt you can use for tax purposes.

    One more way to support the Indigenous Land Lab is to donate to the Alameda Native History Project.

    Alameda Native History Project donation link.

    Alameda Native History Project is fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (d.b.a. Hack Club), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 81-2908499). As such: all donations you make are tax deductible.

  • 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

  • Alameda Is Not Becoming a ‘Food Desert’, You’re Just More Privileged Than You Think

    During the most recent Alameda City Council Meeting, the very real possibility of Safeway closing on Bay Farm Island was brought up as something which would leave Bay Farm without any means or hope for getting fresh produce, and other nutritious foods. The term “food desert” was used, as well as a definition. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) characterizes food deserts as low-income neighborhoods that distinctly lack supermarkets and grocery stores.

    Low-income census tracts with a substantial number or share of residents with low levels of access to retail outlets selling healthy and affordable foods are defined as food deserts.

    Ver Ploeg, et al. “Mapping Food Deserts in the United States” USDA, Dec. 1 2019, https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2011/december/data-feature-mapping-food-deserts-in-the-us/

    The reality of Low-Income Households, situated too far from Supermarkets, Grocery Stores, etc. is something that is finally being identified, and studied.

    These areas are typically urban, rural, and semi-rural environments, where lack of vehicle access, public transportation, or just the sheer distance to a grocery store, prevents people from being able to purchase and transport healthy, fresh, nutritious food to their dwellings.

    In urban areas, the closest and cheapest food sources are often only places like Fast-Food Chains, and Convenience Stores.

    Unfortunately, these food sources are trash. And “ultraprocessed foods” like frozen pizza, hot dogs, store-bought cookies, ice cream, microwave dinners, Fast Food Burgers, Chicken Nuggets, and more, have been linked to certain forms of cancer, and help to provide an early death for those who can’t afford or access fresh meat and vegetables.

    In rural areas, the impossible-to-travel distance from one’s house to any grocery store can mean that people just don’t eat, at all. Or, the amount of food which can be purchased is severely limited by the actual cost of going to and from the grocery store, and/or the amount of time it takes to make the trip is too long.

    Having lived in both types of Food Deserts, it’s easy for me to look around at the City of Alameda and see the abundance of Food Sources, and their Connections via Public Transit, and find a place that is not recognizable as a food desert in any shape or form–at least, not in Bay Farm.

    Upon researching this subject, I discovered that Bay Farm actually is considered a “Low Food Access Area”. Which is surprising, because Bay Farm also has the highest concentration of Home Owners Associations in the entire City of Alameda.

    When the substantial addition of housing begins in Bay Farm, the Harbor Bay Landing will already have been re-developed with multi-unit housing. And it seems inconceivable that another grocery store won’t pop up, just like the Alameda Marketplace did–if a big store like Whole Foods, or Safeway, don’t beat them to it.

    The take away is that Alameda Point really needs some Services.

    That’s really what this map says to me.

    For an area that used to have its own grocery store, the former Naval Air Station has become a point of embarrassment, specifically because of The City’s neglect of its residents. It’s something no one talks about. Just like the soil and groundwater contamination….

    But we need to address these issues if we plan to be here for another 50 years. We can’t just focus on building parks, and leasing buildings to the highest bidders.