Alameda Native History Project

Tag: indigenous land lab

  • Decolonize This Place! : Support the Indigenous Land Lab

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

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

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

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

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

    But there is hope.

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

    The Indigenous Land Lab will be a thriving hub for:

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

    We need your support to make this vision a reality.

    Our immediate goals require funding for:

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

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

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

    Donation levels: 

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

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

    Decolonization starts with a single step – yours.

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

    Donate Now!

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

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

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

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

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

    https://givebutter.com/landlab

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

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

    Now, let’s Decolonize This Place, together!

  • Indigenous Land Lab Update

    This is an excerpt of an email to the Indigenous Land Lab mailing list.

    Updates:

    1. June 8th Willow Harvest Meetup went great!  With the help and enthusiasm of our Land Lab partner, Liz, we were able to harvest about 30 pounds of willow poles and reeds.
    2. We received donations of:
      • Weed whacker, from Naomi!  It worked great in knocking down those weeds at the Land Lab.
      • Beautiful Pots and Monstrously Large Sage Trimmings from Laura!  The pots are marking the outline of the site.  The sage has been trimmed and is now drying.
    3. The Acorn Granary Challenge begins on July 7th!!!  

    Priorities:

    Collecting as much materials for Acorn Granary construction as possible.

    What do we need?

    1. Willow and Hardwood poles to create the legs and superstructure of the granary.
    2. Willow reeds to weave the sides of the granary.
    3. English Ivy, Honeysuckle Vines to use as cordage and help keep everything together.
    4. Large rosemary “spears”.  Like, “big ‘ol stems or branches”.  These are for pest control.
    5. Large bay tree boughs, very important for pest control.
    6. Eucalyptus boughs, experimental non-tradish pest control.

    There are other, more serious plants, like stinging nettle, which I would like to take the time and make some cordage from.  Just like splitting the willow reeds to make strips for weaving the granaries.

    Hard-to-find materials would be redwood bark–which would be nice to use on the outside of a granary.  And then Pine Sap–which simply won’t be readily available until later, and will require some travel into higher elevations to gather.

     If you would like to help gather more natural materials for Acorn Granary Construction, please sign up for the Indigenous Land Lab Email List, to help plan what dates and times work best to plan a meet-up to harvest materials.

    Next Steps for the Land Lab:

    These are the next steps we are anticipating.

    1. Meet up to harvest materials for acorn granary construction.
    2. Weed and Hemlock Management.
    3. Cover with silage tarp for 1 month.
    4. Plan 3 Sisters x Victory Garden (create Garden Design)
    5. Harvest local plant seeds from around Indigenous Land Lab and Greater Bay Area
    6. Source heirloom and native seeds.
    7. Till soil.  Make rows according to Garden Design
    8. Build mini-greenhouse and tray/propagation tables
    9. Fence important stuff
    10. Begin planting cover crops or actual crops or both.
    11. Install Acorn Granary
    12. Begin propagation

    You are invited to participate in any or all aspects of planning and working.  We’re assuming tilling should happen sometime in August.

    Tool & Equipment Drive

    We’ve received a lot of interest, support, and some very generous donations of equipment, supplies, and money!  (All donations are tax deductible!)

    What do we need?

    We’re still looking for the basics:

    1. Shovels
    2. Metal Rakes
    3. Pickaxe
    4. Hoes & Scrapers
    5. Saws
    6. Post driver

    Specific things we need:

    1. Silage tarp (for area 30′ x 30′)
    2. 8 fence posts
    3. Chicken-wire (120′ x 4′)
    4. 3-5 Cubic Yards of Compost
    *Once the size and design of the restoration nursery is finalized, we will be adding construction materials to our list of specifics.

    We managed to find a roto-tiller we can use when we’re ready!

    Some of these things we know we can borrow, like a post driver.  But other stuff–like shovels and rakes–we need to keep on hand.

    Luckily, we don’t need a large amount of anything other than Silage Tarp, Chicken-Wire, and Compost.

    Best ways to support?

    Join us in harvesting Willow, Bay Leaf, and Nettle for granary construction. 

    Donate tools:  If you have some tools, supplies, or equipment on this list, we can pick it up.  If you have a truckload of compost, we can meet you at the land lab for a drop off.

    Purchase directly from our wishlist.  Indigenous Land Lab Wishlist is available here.

    Donate to the Alameda Native History Project.  Tax deductible donations can be made to the Alameda Native History Project here.

    Alameda Native History Project is fiscally sponsored by The Hack Foundation (d.b.a. Hack Club), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 81-2908499).  Any monetary donation, or donation in-kind is tax deductible, and you will receive a donation receipt whether you want it or not.  LOL.  I mean, if you say no, then we won’t, but who doesn’t like a small write-off?

    What Next?

    • Check your garden for the plants we need.  Check your neighbors’ too!
    • Come out and harvest materials for granary construction!  (Plan on about 2-3 hours. Sometime next week.)
      We’ve got lots of water and snacks.  Please bring a bag lunch.
    • The next meeting should happen in early July.  Think about when you’re generally available for a 30-60 minute Online Meeting.
      Our meetings are fast, agendized, and focused on business and planning.  Feel free to ask questions or submit a topic for the next meeting and I’ll do my best to make sure it’s covered/included.

    Anyway, it’s Pride Week, so things are totally hectic as I volunteer for the Gay American Indians.  Check out the attached fliers for GAI events.  Consider marching with Gay American Indians at Pride!

    Be well; and talk to you soon!

    Yours truly,
    Gabriel Duncan
    via collab@nativehistoryproject.org

    To join the land lab, email collab@nativehistoryproject.org, or use the form below.

    Indigenous Land Lab
    Mailing List Sign-Up Form






  • 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.