Alameda Native History Project

Tag: native history

  • Corrina Gould: The Myth Of Lisjan, and the Erosion of Tribal Sovereignty

    Author’s Note

    There are a number of things I want to say about this article:

    First, this is a culmination of 5+ years of research and investigation. And it was only because of the Official Statement by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area [included in full at the end of this article] that I was finally able to put together some missing pieces about Corrina Gould’s relationship to Muwekma—specifically her descent and her belonging to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area. During the course of researching this matter, I interviewed Tribal Attorneys, as well as members of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, and representatives from several local organizations who freely volunteered their reasons for no longer working with Corrina Gould.

    Second, I used ChatGPT to help me write this article—specifically because I needed help keeping track of the sections, its tone, and to make sure that I created something complete and ready for publication. That said, the facts presented in this article are not AI hallucinations. This article was carefully constructed and painstakingly reviewed, over and over again, to ensure the veracity and completeness of the information presented here. My sources are open and available for anyone who wants to verify them.

    Third, I was not paid to write this article. Doing the right thing, reporting the truth, and telling the historical background of Bay Area Native American history is the mission of this project. It’s what we do. And we do it without asking for compensation. This is an independent organization, and we are beholden to no one.

    Fourth, I will not respond to personal attacks. I will not waste my time proving to anyone who I am. I do not care what you think. If your argument does not lie within the context of the material presented here, it is irrelevant to the message of this article. And your desperation to escape the truth and ignore the facts—laid bare here—is your choice.

    1. Introduction

    For years, Corrina Gould has positioned herself as a tribal leader, a rematriation visionary, and a voice for Ohlone land return. She has founded organizations, signed land agreements, created a land tax, received millions in funding, and claimed to speak on behalf of Ohlone people. But her story is built on fiction.

    Corrina Gould is not the Chairwoman of a tribe. She is the head of a nonprofit corporation. The so-called “Confederated Villages of Lisjan” did not exist prior to 2018. It has no documented history, no enrollment records, no government, and no collective identity beyond a name she gave it. The Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is not an Ohlone organization. It is a nonprofit corporation led by a single unenrolled individual—someone who only discovered her genealogy because the real Ohlone tribe shared it with her.

    That tribe is the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area: the only tribal government with documented continuity, legal standing, and ancestral responsibility for this land. Muwekma are the living successors of the historic, federally recognized Verona Band of Alameda County. They descend from the Indigenous people forced into Misión San José de Guadalupe, Santa Clara de Thámien, and San Francisco de Asís, and today, Muwekma has over 600 enrolled members. They have fought for their sovereignty, defended their sacred sites, and preserved their genealogy and governance through every wave of erasure—missions, courts, colonization, and nonprofits.

    And yet, Muwekma is being erased again—this time not by settlers, but by activists claiming their identity, collecting land and donations under their name, and silencing them with the language of “solidarity.”

    This isn’t just confusion. This is colonization, rebranded and crowd-funded. It is settler violence in a progressive disguise. It is a lie that has been funded by foundations, platformed by institutions, and repeated by people too afraid—or too lazy—to ask basic questions: Who governs this tribe? Who are its members? Where is the money going? Who was consulted? What elections have been held?

    This is a pattern of identity fraud, land misappropriation, and community displacement, and it has gone on for too long. The time for “raising questions” is over. The answers are here. And this is the record.

    2. The Myth of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan

    The “Confederated Villages of Lisjan” (CVL) did not exist prior to 2018. It has no historical precedent, no documentation in early ethnographic records, no mention in tribal enrollment rosters, no record in legal proceedings, and no lineage-based governance structure. It is not a tribe. It is a name invented by Corrina Gould—retroactively applied to give the appearance of a tribal coalition that never existed.

    The word “Lisjan” itself is poorly understood and inconsistently used. Gould cites a 1920s interview with her ancestor, José Guzmán, who described himself as “Lisjanes”—but this was simply a reference to the place he was from: the Nisenan name for the Pleasanton area. He did not say he was from a “Lisjan Tribe.” He did not describe a confederation of villages. He was a Muwekma ancestor who spoke Spanish—maybe as a third language, after Nisenan and Chochenyo–he did not speak English, and was likely describing location, not identity. And yet, Gould has used this single, mistranslated phrase to build an entire tribal identity.

    Gould publicly presents herself not just as a tribal member, but as a Tribal Chairwoman—a title that holds formal and legal weight in actual tribal governments. But her organization has no tribal enrollment. No constitutional structure. No elections. No council. No ratifying documents. There is no list of what “villages” make up the supposed confederacy. There are no lineages publicly claimed. No other representatives from these villages ever appear at events or claim descent. It is a title without a people. A nonprofit corporation posing as a nation.

    In reality, Gould descends from the very same lineages as the enrolled members of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area. She requested her genealogy from Muwekma in 2005, and the Tribe provided it. It was only through Muwekma’s documentation and research that she learned she descends from Muwekma ancestors. But instead of enrolling or standing with the Tribe, she took that information and built her own identity-based platform—weaponizing the documentation shared with her in good faith.

    Her family is not excluded from Muwekma. In fact, her relatives—including her aunt and uncle, and their extended families—have been enrolled Muwekma members since 1995. Gould made a choice not to enroll. And then, she made another choice: to leverage Muwekma’s genealogy, history, and sacred sites to build her own nonprofit brand.

    She presents herself as a Tribal Chairwoman—but she is the chair of a corporation. And she uses that corporation to appear as if she governs a sovereign tribal nation, when in fact, she governs nothing but a grant-seeking nonprofit made up of herself, her daughter, and a cohort of non-Native allies and unaffiliated supporters.

    The result is a cheap knock-off of a tribal government, built on the illusion of collective identity and the erasure of the very people whose legacy she claims to protect. Her statements and symbolism are packaged for public consumption. But there is no tribal infrastructure behind it. No cultural authority. No community accountability. It is a performance built on selective ancestry, strategic branding, and the quiet theft of another tribe’s history.

    3. Funded Fabrication and Institutional Complicity

    Since its creation, the Confederated Villages of Lisjan and its sister organization, Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, have received millions of dollars in grants, donations, and land transfers—funding that was intended to support Indigenous land return, cultural revitalization, and tribal sovereignty.

    But that funding is not going to a tribe. It’s going to a nonprofit corporation with no elections, no enrollment, no federal or state recognition, and no documented governance. The public has been led to believe that Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is an Ohlone-led effort to rematriate ancestral lands. But in reality, the land is not being returned to a tribe—it’s being handed to an individual, and the nonprofit she controls.

    The most egregious example is the West Berkeley Shellmound. In 2023, the City of Berkeley announced that it would transfer the historic site to Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. In the meeting minutes, the city described the action as “returning the land to the Ohlone people.” But this was a lie. Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is not an Ohlone tribe or tribally governed entity. The land was not returned to Muwekma—the only federally documented tribe connected to that site. Instead, it was handed to a nonprofit that claims Indigenous identity without legal or cultural accountability.

    This “return” was made possible by a $20 Million dollar grant to Sogorea Te Land Trust by the Katalay Foundation.

    This confusion is not accidental. Gould has intentionally blurred the line between nonprofit and tribe. She invokes language like “rematriation,” “sovereignty,” and “traditional territory,” while never disclosing that her organization has no formal recognition, no election process, no ratified tribal rolls, and no council oversight. Funders and institutions allow it because it’s easier than doing the work of real consultation.

    Organizations that have partnered with CVL or STLT include:

    These institutions have played a role in fabricating legitimacy. They’ve repeated claims without verification. They’ve entered into land agreements and awarded grants without consulting the federally documented tribal government whose sovereignty they’ve bypassed.

    This is not accidental. This is the institutional funding of a fiction.

    And every time a university, foundation, or nonprofit puts Sogorea Te’ Land Trust on a panel, signs an MOU, or writes a check, they’re not standing with Ohlone people. They’re standing with a narrative built on erasure—one that excludes the very tribe whose homeland they claim to “rematriate.”

    4. Weaponizing Rhetoric to Avoid Accountability

    Corrina Gould frequently accuses her critics—including enrolled Muwekma members—of “perpetuating colonial violence.” She uses the language of decolonization to shield herself from scrutiny and shut down legitimate questions about her identity, governance, and funding. But this is not decolonial work—it is the strategic misuse of anti-colonial rhetoric to avoid accountability.

    This tactic has proven effective, especially among non-Native supporters who are unfamiliar with the difference between actual tribal sovereignty and self-appointed identity. In Gould’s framing, any critique becomes “lateral violence,” and any push for clarity is “divisive.” As a result, even basic questions—Who are your enrolled members? When do you hold elections? What is your governance structure?—are dismissed as hostile.

    The irony is unavoidable: Gould accuses others of colonial harm while collaborating with the very institutions that enforced settler violence—churches, universities, real estate developers, and city governments. She denounces the legacy of the Catholic mission system while operating out of a church. She claims to speak for Ohlone people while silencing Muwekma, the tribe she descends from.

    The harm here is not theoretical. Every time Gould uses progressive language to shut down real tribal voices, she reinforces the structures of colonization. She replaces truth with optics, community with control, and shared identity with personal branding.

    This isn’t what decolonization looks like. It’s what erasure looks like—draped in the language of justice, funded by people too uncomfortable to ask questions, and defended by institutions more interested in performance than accountability.

    5. A Reckoning Rooted in Research

    This project didn’t begin with opposition. It began in good faith.

    In 2020, I supported Corrina Gould. The City of Alameda was considering renaming Jackson Park to Chochenyo Park—a gesture I backed without hesitation. Gould was present at those discussions. At the time, her narrative seemed compelling. Her cause appeared righteous. Like many people, I wanted to help uplift a story that claimed to center Indigenous land and sovereignty.

    So I began researching, intending to support her work. I looked for historical records, linguistic references, maps—anything that could substantiate and elevate her cause. But what I found instead was something Gould never expected anyone to look for: the truth.

    And that truth pointed, again and again, not to a “Confederated Villages of Lisjan,” but to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area—the living successors of the Verona Band of Alameda County, recognized by the federal government in 1906 and unlawfully removed from recognition in 1927. Every credible source I found—mission records, ethnographic interviews, enrollment documents, BIA files—told the same story: this is Muwekma land, and Muwekma never left.

    It was Muwekma who preserved the genealogy. Muwekma who fought for recognition. Muwekma who kept ceremony alive and language breathing. It was Muwekma who gave Corrina Gould the documents she now uses to claim Indigenous identity—and it is Muwekma she now displaces.

    People are quick to give Corrina Gould credit—for symbolic gestures, shellmound walks, and public speaking. Some even claim she “saved the West Berkeley Shellmound.” She didn’t. The Shellmound was already destroyed. It’s a parking lot. Meanwhile, former Muwekma Chairwoman Rosemary Cambra helped save an actual Ohlone cemetery from destruction during the construction of the 680 freeway in the 1960s. That cemetery was later returned in 1971 to Andrew Galvan via the Ohlone Indian Tribe Inc., through a historic and unprecedented decision by the Catholic Church. “It’s the only piece of Californian mission property returned by the Catholic Church to a group of Indians, that I’m aware of,” said Galvan, curator of Mission Dolores in San Francisco.

    That wasn’t an isolated act. In 1967, Phil Galvan [“Mr. Ohlone”] successfully advocated for the naming of Ohlone College in Fremont—ensuring that a major institution would carry the name of his people and their land. And in 1985, Rosemary Cambra again took direct action—striking an archaeologist with a shovel to stop the desecration of her ancestors’ graves by developers attempting to build a hotel in downtown San José.

    These are real, measurable accomplishments—land protected, history recognized, sovereignty advanced—achieved not through branding or ceremony, but through resistance, strategy, and leadership.

    Photo courtesy of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area
    Photo courtesy of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area
    Photo courtesy of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area
    Photo courtesy of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area
    Photo courtesy of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area
    Photo courtesy of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area

    In 2024, Muwekma embarked on the Trail of Truth, a 90-day cross-country journey from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., to demand federal recognition and justice for unrecognized tribes. Along the way, they were joined by members of over 30 other tribes, fostering national intertribal relations. Upon arrival in D.C., they faced violent responses from law enforcement, including arrests and physical confrontations, as they attempted to bring their message to the nation’s leaders. Despite these challenges, Muwekma’s commitment to sovereignty and recognition remained unwavering.

    Meanwhile, Corrina Gould—while formerly associated with service delivery at the American Indian Child Resource Center—has used her platform through Indigenous People Organized for Change and especially through Sogorea Te’ Land Trust to build what is, at its core, a personal fundraising machine, not a tribal government. And she built it at the expense of real Muwekma—and in the Chochenyo context, Muwekma means “the people” [“la gente“.] She has rebranded the people as herself, and turned their collective legacy into her private gain.

    Her base of support is not grounded in local tribal governance. It comes largely from non-Native institutions, funders, and Native individuals with no ancestral ties to this land. Meanwhile, the real Ohlone Tribe is pushed aside in favor of symbolic leadership that offers visibility, but not accountability.

    Once faced with the facts, I had to admit that I was wrong. I had been led by a compelling story—but the truth was stronger. So I did what solidarity demands: I apologized, publicly withdrew my support for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, and committed to telling the truth.

    Because protecting Indigenous sovereignty sometimes means telling hard truths—and refusing to participate in feel-good illusions.

    6. The Harm Is Real—And Measurable

    This isn’t just a difference in opinion. It isn’t a clash of personalities. And it certainly isn’t a harmless misunderstanding.

    When institutions platform Corrina Gould as a tribal leader, or treat the Confederated Villages of Lisjan as a legitimate tribal government, they are doing more than making a mistake—they are actively undermining the sovereignty of the real Ohlone Tribe. They are diverting resources, land, funding, and political capital away from Muwekma, and into the hands of a private organization with no legal standing, no elections, and no tribal citizenry.

    This harm isn’t abstract. It’s measurable.

    • Millions of dollars in philanthropic and public funding intended for Indigenous land return and cultural revitalization have gone to a nonprofit corporation with no recognized tribal status.
    • Sacred land—like the site of the West Berkeley Shellmound—has been transferred to Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, a non-tribal organization, under the false pretense that it represents “the Ohlone people.”
    • Public institutions, including cities and universities, have entered into consultation relationships with Gould and her affiliates, bypassing Muwekma entirely—despite Muwekma’s documented federal recognition and direct ancestral connection to the land in question.
    • Land acknowledgments, educational materials, and grant applications are being written and approved using a fictional framework, misleading the public and distorting the historical record.
    • Nonprofits and state agencies increasingly treat Sogorea Te’ Land Trust as the default Ohlone contact, creating a monopoly of voice that drowns out the actual tribe’s legal claims and cultural continuity.

    These are not harmless errors. They are a form of structural erasure—the exact kind that has plagued Native nations for generations. When land meant for Indigenous people is given to a nonprofit posing as a tribe, that is not reparation. That is dispossession in progressive packaging.

    This is particularly dangerous because the harm is disguised as justice. The very people who claim to be “decolonizing” are recoding colonization into a new language of rematriation, visibility, and inclusion—but behind the optics, the effect is the same: the real tribe is left out. The real tribe is defunded. The real tribe is made invisible.

    And let’s be clear: the people being erased are not theoretical. Muwekma has over 600 enrolled members. They are the living successors of the Verona Band. They have filed lawsuits, preserved records, won recognition, buried their dead, held their ceremonies, and never left their land.

    But when outsiders accept Gould’s narrative at face value—when they hand over land and money without due diligence—they don’t just cause confusion. They help erase those 600+ people from the public record and from the future of their own homeland.

    This harm is worsened by the fact that many of Gould’s supporters are not Ohlone, not from this territory, and in many cases, not even Native. Her occupation of Sogorea Te (Glen Cove Park in Vallejo) was carried out over the objections of local Wintu and Patwin tribal leaders, who viewed her presence as invasive and inappropriate–and who were already in the middle of negotiations with the city. Once again, her support came not from the tribes whose land she claimed to defend, but from outsiders—many of whom lacked the cultural or historical context to recognize the damage being done.

    This isn’t pan-Indigenous solidarity. This is outsider-enabled erasure masquerading as justice.

    And if you’ve ever promoted Corrina Gould as a tribal leader…
    If you’ve ever funded Sogorea Te’ Land Trust believing it was an Ohlone-run tribal entity…
    If you’ve ever written a land acknowledgment, curriculum, or policy that names CVL without verifying its legitimacy…

    Then you’ve been part of this harm.

    You didn’t just uplift the wrong narrative.
    You helped erase a federally documented tribe.
    You helped redirect land, funding, and power away from 600 living descendants of the Verona Band—and handed it to a nonprofit that exists because Muwekma gave one woman access to her genealogy.

    This isn’t theoretical. This is real.
    Real people. Real land. Real erasure.

    You didn’t decolonize anything.
    You just changed the branding.

    7. This Is Muwekma Land

    Photo courtesy of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Let’s be clear: this is the unceded ancestral homeland of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

    The East Bay—including the very places where Corrina Gould operates, where cities write “rematriation” into land agreements, and where nonprofit funders congratulate themselves on “land return”—sits squarely within the ethnohistoric territory of the Chochenyo- and Thámien-speaking Ohlone tribal groups and intermarried Muwekma Ohlone and Bay Miwok ancestors. These were not abstract “villages.” They were governed communities with kinship ties, linguistic identity, and ceremonial responsibilities. Their descendants are now enrolled in the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.

    These people were forced into Misión San José de Guadalupe, Misión Santa Clara de Thámien, and Misión San Francisco de Asís. Their names and records exist in the mission rolls, in the ethnographic interviews, in the early court filings, and in the federal Indian rolls. Their presence on this land was never erased—only ignored.

    Muwekma didn’t vanish. Muwekma was excluded—deliberately and illegally. And they never stopped fighting to be seen.

    They are not a nonprofit. They are not a brand.
    They are not “one of many Ohlone groups.”
    They are the documented, federally acknowledged, and unlawfully derecognized successors of the Verona Band of Alameda County—and the only Ohlone tribal government with a continuous ancestral, cultural, and political presence in this region.

    They are the tribe that:

    • Has maintained ceremonial stewardship of sacred sites and burials.
    • Has documented every ancestral line with forensic-level precision.
    • Has filed for federal restoration and fought institutional exclusion for over a century.
    • Has survived the missions, the ranchos, the Gold Rush, the boarding schools, and the bureaucracies—and is still here.

    To pretend that this land is “returned” by handing it to a nonprofit corporation with no governing authority, no intertribal legitimacy, and no community accountability is not just inaccurate—it is a continuation of colonization.

    It is the institutional funding and support of settler colonial violence—the same erasure, dispossession, and genocide that removed tribes from their land in the first place, now rebranded as “rematriation” for white comfort.

    The land hasn’t been returned until it’s returned to the people it was taken from.

    This is not “Lisjan territory.”
    This is not “rematriated space.”
    This is Muwekma land.

    8. To Stand With Ohlone People Is to Stand With Muwekma

    By now, the facts are clear: the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area is the only tribal government with documented continuity, legal standing, and ancestral responsibility for this land. Their aboriginal homeland includes what is now known as San Francisco, San Mateo, most of Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties, as well as portions of Napa, Santa Cruz, Solano, and San Joaquin Counties. The present-day Muwekma Ohlone Tribe consists of the descendants of the Indigenous people who were forced into Misión San José de Guadalupe, Santa Clara de Thámien, and San Francisco de Asís. Cities like Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, Fremont, Hayward, Niles, and Pleasanton sit squarely within this territory.

    Still, some people will ask, “Why are you criticizing other Indigenous-led groups?”

    Here’s the answer:
    “Representation isn’t just about who shows up — it’s about how they show up.
    When groups claim Indigenous identity without tribal recognition, without elections, and without consulting other Native peoples, it’s not real representation.
    Holding people accountable protects Indigenous identity — it doesn’t attack it.”

    Others will say, “Aren’t you worried this undermines solidarity?”

    Not if you understand what real solidarity is.
    “Solidarity built on misinformation is a weak foundation.
    Real solidarity requires honesty — even when it’s uncomfortable.
    Protecting Indigenous sovereignty sometimes means telling hard truths, not participating in feel-good illusions.”

    And if you’re asking, “Well, what should I do instead?”

    Start here:
    “Support federally recognized and state-recognized tribes, or groups with real historic documentation and transparent leadership.
    Always ask: Who benefits? Who was consulted? Where is the money going?
    Good intentions matter — but real relationships and accountability matter more.”

    Let’s stay focused on the facts.
    It’s not about personal feelings — it’s about who has the rightful voice, and who’s building legitimacy at the expense of Indigenous communities.

    If you’ve platformed Corrina Gould or the Confederated Villages of Lisjan without doing your homework, then yes—you’ve been misled. Now that you know Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is not an Ohlone tribe or organization, it’s on you to stop giving them money and land. Because at this point, you’re not helping—you’re enabling the lie. You’re disrespecting the real Ohlone Tribe and their 600+ enrolled members, and you’re disrespecting their ancestors’ living legacy.

    Non-Native people created this problem, and then doubled down and made it worse. So it’s on them to fix it—by demanding accountability. Find out where your money is going. Ask who’s being left out. Demand that Sogorea Te’ Land Trust include the rightful Ohlone tribe of the East Bay: the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

    If non-Native people are really about all this land defender and water protector, rematriation, land back rhetoric they love to post about—
    Then they’ll fight just as hard for a real tribe
    As they fight for a fucking parking lot.

    “Indigenous sovereignty isn’t a brand.
    It’s a responsibility to the ancestors and a duty to future generations.
    I’m here to protect that — without apology.”

    Sources

    Primary Sources from Muwekma Ohlone Tribe

    Official Statement

    • Public Statement on Corina Gould, the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, and Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
      Received directly from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area (May 1, 2025)

    News & Archival Sources

    Academic Reports & Federal Records

    • Ohlone/Costanoan Indians of the San Francisco Peninsula and Their Neighbors, Yesterday and Today (2009)
      Randall Milliken, Laurence H. Shoup, Beverly R. Ortiz – for the National Park Service
      PDF Link
    • A Time of Little Choice: The Disintegration of Tribal Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area 1769–1810 (1995)
      Randall Milliken – Ballena Press Anthropological Papers No. 43
      Publisher Link
    • J.P. Harrington Chochenyo Field Notes and Vocabulary (1921)
      Smithsonian Institution – National Anthropological Archives, Collection of John Peabody Harrington
    • Ancient and Modern Genomics of the Ohlone Indigenous Population of California (2022)
      Severson, Ramstetter, Kennett, et al. — Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
      PDF Link

    Alameda Native History Project Articles

  • 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!

  • A Missed Opportunity: Alameda’s Native American Heritage Month Proclamation Falls Short

    As the City of Alameda celebrated Native American Heritage Month with a proclamation, a closer look reveals a disconnect between words and actions.

    Behind the ceremonial language and gestures, a deeper story of erasure, misrepresentation, and neglect of Native American voices and histories emerged.

    This article examines the proclamation and the city’s approach to Native American Heritage Month, and offers a response from the Alameda Native History Project.

    The Mayor’s Proclamation

    On Wednesday, November 6, at the Alameda City Council Meeting, Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft read a proclamation declaring November 2024 Native American Heritage Month.

    Mayor Ashcraft’s Native American Heritage Month Proclamation

    “Whereas during November, which has been designated a National Native American Heritage Month, we honor the history, rich cultures and vast contributions of Native and Indigenous peoples to our nation’s history and culture. And whereas there are 324 federally recognized reservations and 10 million individuals who identify as Native American and Alaska Native in the United States.

    “And, as President Joe Biden noted in his 2024 proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, indigenous peoples history is defined by strength, survival, and a deep commitment to and pride in their heritage, right to self-governance, and ways of life.

    “However, our nation’s failed policies of the past subjected generations of native peoples to cruelty, violence, and intimidation. And the forced removal of native peoples from their homes and ancestral homelands. Attempts to assimilate entire generations, and stripping indigenous peoples of their identities, cultures, and traditions are some of the darkest chapters of our nation’s history. The trauma and turmoil has fundamentally altered these communities.

    “And, whereas, the Biden administration has worked with tribal nations to preserve, protect and steward important ancestral tribal lands and waters, including in 2024, the designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the first sanctuary to be proposed by indigenous communities.

    “And, this sanctuary boundaries encompass 4543mi² of offshore waters along 116 miles of California’s Central Coast, where indigenous people have lived for over 10,000 years. And whereas native Americans have long served in the United States military and currently serve in the highest levels of government, including Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo Tribe and former congressional representative from New Mexico, who is America’s first Native American cabinet secretary.

    “And, whereas, 380 Alameda residents identify as Native Americans. And, in 2021, were among those who advocated for the city council to rename a public park to Chochenyo Park to recognize the language of the original inhabit of the city of Alameda. The legend Aulani people. Now, therefore, be it resolved that I, Marilyn, Ezzy Ashcraft, mayor of the City of Alameda, do hereby proclaim November 2024 as Native American Heritage Month in the City of Alameda; and encourage all residents to learn about the rich history, culture, and contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples, including by visiting the Alameda Free Library main library, where both adults and children’s books by Native American authors are on display, and the library’s online catalog also includes a themed carousel of resources for Native American Heritage Month and at the Altarena Playhouse. The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fast Horse, the first known female Native American playwright on Broadway, will be presented every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting this Friday, November 8th through November 24th.”

    It relied heavily on U.S. President Joe Biden’s Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, with the Mayor taking large excerpts of the Presidential speech.

    At the end of the proclamation, Alameda Mayor Ashcraft invited people to “learn about the rich history, culture, and contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples” by visiting the Alameda Free Library and by attending “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa Fast Horse, “the first known female Native American playwright on Broadway”.

    “The Thanksgiving Play” is a satirical play that follows a group of white teachers attempting to create a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play. However, their efforts are misguided and perpetuate stereotypes, highlighting the erasure of Native American voices and experiences. The play ultimately critiques itself, with the characters deciding not to produce the play due to their lack of understanding and representation. Despite being written by a Native American author, Larissa FastHorse, the play has been criticized for its superficial portrayal of Native American issues and its pandering to white audiences by centering whiteness in a conversation about Indigenous People.

    Any mention of the Alameda Museum, and its collection of stolen Grave Goods, taken from the Shellmounds of Alameda was conspicuously absent from the proclamation, which is unfortunate. And what the City did to the Shellmounds of Alameda was left unsaid. And, though the mayor did recognize Ohlone people as the First Alamedans, she mispronounced the word Ohlone, and she called the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, “the Lejon Alani tribe”.

    The heavy reliance upon excerpts from another person’s Proclamation, as well as the mis pronunciation and misnaming of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe came off as having a lack of respect and understanding for the tribe’s identity and culture–the very thing the Native American Heritage Month was supposed to uplift and celebrate.

    And advertising a Thanksgiving play featuring an all-white cast, with no Native American Representation at all (aside from the writer, who is not present) was extremely disconcerting, and–frankly–tone deaf.

    This lack of true representation and consideration for the First Alamedans was underlined by the fact that no one from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area was invited to receive the Native American Heritage Month Proclamation.

    Our Response

    Alameda Native History Project founder, Gabriel Duncan, was there at the City Council Meeting, and responded to the Mayor’s Proclamation:

    ANHP Response to Mayor’s Native American Heritage Month Proclamation

    “My name is Gabriel Duncan, and I’m a recognized descendant of the Ütü Ütü Gwaitü Benton Hot Springs Paiute Tribe. I’m here representing the Alameda Native History Project, and I’m here to address the lack of Native American representation in city government committees and commissions.

    “Alameda is the homeland of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. It has 10,000 years of history in this area, and they’re actually, like, a real tribe.

    “And I want to also request that we remove Sogorea Te Land Trust from the city website. Because that’s not an Ohlone organization. And I’d also like to ask that the city make an official apology for the destruction of the shell mounds in Alameda, specifically for paving Bay Farm Road with the shell mounds. Those are bodies. That was a burial ground.

    “And that whole area was desecrated.

    “And we had more than four shell mounds in Alameda, the largest of with the largest was at Chestnut. And there were others next to Krusi Park, and also on Bay Farm. And the one that we know about on Mound Street. That happened in 1909 [actually in 1901 & 1908]. And it’s been a really long time.

    “We know that the mound was there, but the only thing that we really have talking about it is a plaque that’s on a rock. At Lincoln Park. And I don’t think it’s fair that the only other representations of Ohlone People that we have are statues that weren’t made by Ohlone People, that are public art.

    “And I think that part of representing the actual culture and heritage of the people who are the First Alamedans starts with actually hiring, like, Ohlone artists to make this art. And for the city to actually apologize for what it did for its part in desecrating the landscape of Alameda. And, it would be really nice when we have this proclamation next year to invite Tribal Members from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to accept this proclamation.

    “Thank you.”

    Gabriel Duncan, a recognized descendant of the Ütü Ütü Gwaitü Benton Hot Springs Paiute Tribe, addressed the city council, highlighting the lack of Native American representation in city government committees and commissions. He emphasized that Alameda is the homeland of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, with a rich history spanning over 10,000 years.

    Duncan requested that the city remove Sogorea Te Land Trust from the city website, as it is not an Ohlone organization. He also asked for an official apology for the destruction of the shell mounds in Alameda, specifically for paving Bay Farm Road with the shell mounds, which were ancestral burial grounds.

    Alameda Times Star Aug-20-1908
    The Original Plaque at Lincoln Park, unveiled in 1909. #justiceforishi
    Alameda Times Star Apr-23-1901

    Furthermore, Duncan suggested that the city hire Ohlone artists to create public art that represents the actual culture and heritage of the First Alamedans. He also recommended inviting Tribal Members from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe to accept future proclamations and participate in city events.

    By taking these steps, the city can work towards reconciliation, respect, and a deeper understanding of Native American heritage in Alameda.

  • Sogorea Te Land Trust Controversy

    An Investigative Report by the Alameda Native History Project

    Preserving Accurate Ohlone History and Culture

    The Alameda Native History Project is dedicated to preserving the accurate history and culture of the Ohlone people. As part of this effort, we have conducted research on Sogorea Te Land Trust, a non-profit organization [501(c)(3)], and its claims of representing the Ohlone people.

    Why We Investigated

    We followed this story because it was newsworthy and of significant public interest. Moreover, we believe that people have the right to know where their money is going, particularly when it comes to donations intended to support Native American communities–in this case: Ohlone people, the First Alamedans.

    Concerns and Findings

    Our research has raised several concerns about Sogorea Te Land Trust’s claims and actions:

    Furthermore, we have found that donations to Sogorea Te Land Trust, known as “Shuumi”, do not benefit the Ohlone people.

    Our Efforts to Seek Clarification

    Over the past three years, the Alameda Native History Project has reached out to Sogorea Te Land Trust multiple times seeking clarification on these issues, but they have not provided any substantive responses.

    Call to Action

    We encourage everyone to seek out multiple sources and consult with Ohlone elders and experts before supporting or promoting initiatives related to Ohlone history and culture. Specifically, we recommend reaching out to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area and other Ohlone leaders who may have valuable insights and perspectives on the issues raised in this report. By engaging in open and respectful dialogue, we can work together to ensure the accurate representation and well-being of the Ohlone people.

  • I Found Bones In My Backyard, What Do I do?

    You are on Native Land.

    Alameda is hallowed ground.

    The site of no less than four “Ancient Indian Burial Mounds.” (We call them Shellmounds now.) The resting place of Ohlone ancestors.

    It sounds so distant when people use the word “ancestors”. Because it’s so safe; and sterilized by a false sense of temporal distance.

    Even though those shellmounds contained the Great-Great-Grandparents of Muwekma (the word for “Ohlone People“, in their language, Chochenyo) who are alive and well today.

    But the bodies didn’t stay buried.

    Bones from shellmounds were used to fertilize the fields, gardens, and flower beds which became iconic as soon as Mark Twain called Alameda the “Garden of California”.

    The remains of hundreds of Native Americans were used to pave Bay Farm Road. Twice.

    The bodies of thousands of Ohlone people were crushed, and pulverized, to make concrete for sidewalks, and foundations for houses. Their graves pushed over to fill marshland, and level out the numerous railways running through the island we now call “Alameda”.

    So it’s no wonder you found someone in your backyard.

    Native American Graves are being Still Being Uncovered in Alameda Today

    The story goes: a contractor working on a new deck, or a foundation crew digging around the cribs will find some bones. Human bones.

    You’re supposed to stop work, supposed to call the Police Department and report the discover of a burial. Because it could a crime scene. Or it could be a Native American Grave.

    If the bones look old enough, some contractors will turn a blind eye, and toss them back into the ground for some other guy to dig up.

    But that’s not how you should do it.

    Here are the 5 Steps to Honoring Native American Graves on the Stolen Land You Now Occupy

    Step 1:

    Don’t call the Museum!

    If you find bones in Alameda while digging, do not call the Alameda Museum.

    The Alameda Museum has no one on staff, or on call, who is qualified to identify or store Native American artifacts.

    Since 1948 the Alameda Museum had mis-identified Ohlone people as “Miwok”, instead of “Costanoan” which is what Ohlone people in the Bay Area were known as until about the 1970’s. This mis-identification ended abruptly when the Alameda Native History Project interceded in the miss-identification of the First Alamedans (Muwekma) and mis-attribution of their stolen property.

    So don’t call them. They don’t know what they’re doing.

    Step 2:

    Let the ancestors rest!

    Stop work.

    Don’t touch a damn thing.

    🤬 around and catch a curse. Or a case.

    [CA HSC §7050.5(a) : Every person who knowingly mutilates or disinters, wantonly disturbs, or willfully removes any human remains in or from any location other than a dedicated cemetery without authority of law is guilty of a misdemeanor….]

    I know it sucks: but pay the crew for the rest of the day and send them home.

    You’re done for the day.

    Step 3:

    Report the discovery to the police!

    Who honestly knows if this is an ancient burial? Your contractor isn’t an expert either. It doesn’t matter what they say.

    Stop work and call the police immediately.

    The sooner you call, the sooner this gets settled.

    [Also, this is not a real skeleton. All of these images were made with AI because using real skeletons would be disrespectful.]

    Step 4:

    Wait for the Coroner

    While you’re waiting, check out California Health and Safety Code Section 7050.5

    The Coroner is the only person who has the authority to identify whether or not the remains are Native American.

    “[I]f the coroner recognizes the human remains to be those of a Native American, or has reason to believe that they are those of a Native American” he or she will contact the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) within 24 hours.

    NAHC will send for a Tribal Consultant from the Tribal Groups affiliated with the area where the discovery was made, and whomever NAHC also determines is the Most Likely Descendant.

    Step 5:

    Step back. Tribal Consultants will handle the rest.

    Consultation is private. Anyone who isn’t directly involved, won’t be.

    At the end of consultation, you will generally be presented with two options:

    1. Re-Inter (or Re-Bury) the ancestor(s) in a place on the property where they will not be disturbed again.
    2. Tribal Consultants will remove their ancestor(s) and repatriate them at their Tribal Cemetery.

    That’s it!

    You just helped protect Native American Graves, and reunited someone’s ancestor with their family!

    Encourage your neighbors to do the same.

    Encourage the Alameda Museum to do the right thing, and give their collection of stolen artifacts back to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Email the Alameda Museum here.

  • New Map Shows Pre-1900 Alameda In Exquisite Detail

    What did Alameda look like before the Oakland Estuary was dredged out; and Bay Farm, South Shore, and the West End were filled in?

    Where was the Live Oak Forest? What kind of animals roamed what was once known as la Bolsa de Encinal?

    The new Alameda Historic Ecology Web Map shows you in exquisite detail, using never-before-seen GIS data compiled and developed exclusively by the Alameda Native History Project.

    You can have this map on your wall. Find out how: visit our merch page now.

    Decolonizing History

    The Alameda Native History Project decolonizes history by providing real and accurate information about the geography and ecology of places like Alameda, which is occupied Muwekma Ohlone territory.

    Before now, only over-copied handouts, and over-generalized information has been made available by Alameda’s Historians and Schools. No concerted effort has been made to update this content since (at least) the 1970’s.

    This map is a wake-up call for Alameda Historians….

    And a challenge to the groups like the Board of the Alameda Museum, and Alameda Historical Commission, to step up their game, and, meaningfully and accurately represent and honor the contributions and lives of all Alamedans, like Quong Fat and Mabel Tatum, with permanent exhibits, public art made by someone of the heritage it represents, and historical districts commemorating more than Victorian houses.

    Because, mentions only in museum newsletters, city council declarations…. Or once a year appearances at speaker panels for [AAPI/Black History, Pride, Native American, etc.] Heritage Months are not cutting it.

    Tokenization is not representation.

    Speaking for us, is not letting us speak.

    Decolonize History

  • Alameda Shellmounds Web Map v2 Released

    Fully updated, featuring new historic wetlands, shorelines, and more.

    Available exclusively at the Alameda Native History Project.

    Find it on our website:

    NativeHistoryProject.org > Maps > Alameda Shellmounds Web Map

    Alameda Shellmounds Web Map

  • Alameda Shellmound Map Re-Released

    More detailed Alameda historical ecology.

    All four Alameda Shellmounds.

    Featuring Alameda’s Ancient Live Oak Forest, Historic Shoreline, and Bay Area Historic Wetlands layers.

    All juxtaposed against the modern day landscape to provide accurate scale and positioning.

    Available in several sizes.

    Preview the new Alameda Shellmound Map V.2. Available in 3 sizes. Get it now!

    More Detailed Historic Geography

    Because of the juxtaposition of the historic peninsula with it’s present day silhouette, it is much easier to see which parts of Alameda were physically connected and formed the peninsula more recently known as the “Encinal”.

    Both Alameda and Oakland are in a region referred to as Xučyun (also known as “Huchiun”.) Xučyun is part of the ancestral homeland of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area. Muwekma have lived in the Bay Area for over 10,000 years.

    Includes All Four Alameda Shellmounds

    For the first time, all four of the Alameda Shellmounds have been put onto one map. Most people only know about the shellmound on Mound Street. But there are more shellmounds, in Alameda. There were over 425 shellmounds in the Bay Area. Including Alameda’s largest shellmound, at the foot Chestnut.

    Why is this important?

    • The existence of the three other Alameda Shellmounds was overlooked by all of Alameda’s previous historians*, including long-time (since retired) curator of the Alameda Museum: George Gunn.
    • From 1948, to 2020: the Alameda Museum falsely identified the First Alamedans as “a branch of Miwok”, instead of “Costanoan” or Ohlone.
    • The Alameda Native History Project is responsible for stepping forward and correcting the record, and educating the public about the real Alameda Native History.

    This map proves that Alameda History is more than Victorian houses.

    See also: Shellmounds – What Are Shellmounds?

    Features:

    Alameda’s Ancient Live Oak Forest

    This place we call Alameda was once called “La Bolsa de Encinal”. Meaning, “the Encinal forest”. Because the peninsula was host to a verdant, “ancient”, Live Oak forest. (The forest still exists. It just looks different.)

    Many of the first accounts of the historic peninsula use rather idyllic, and paradisaic language to describe the rich pre-contact ecosystem that thrived here.

    Alameda was once referred to as a “Garden City”. This is the place where the Loganberry was supposedly born.

    Historic Shoreline

    tl;dr : Everyone wants to know where the landfill is. [There! I said it, okay?] They don’t even really care where Alameda used to be connected to Oakland. Or about the ancient whirl pool in la bahia de san leandro. But, whatever.

    Look closer, and you can see the footprints of present day buildings. That’s the landfill.

    For real though, I made this layer using pre-1900 shoreline vector data I compiled for the Bay Area region, and stitched together.

    Bay Area Historic Wetlands layers

    In Version 1, I made a kind of sloppy polygon with historical shoreline vectors, and painted it green. It was a good placeholder for the historic marshes and wetlands of the Bay Area.

    Version 2 features the finely detailed historic wetlands layer created for the Bay Area Shellmounds Maps. It features very precise cut-outs for historic creeks, channels and waterways; and features full-coverage of the Bay Area region.

    If you want some actual historical eco-data, check out the San Francisco Estuary Institute. They have some brilliant historical ecology GIS you would probably love, if you’ve read this far.

    The Alameda Shellmound Map, Version 2, is ground-breaking in its completeness and exquisite detail.

    Available Now!

    Printed in vivid color, on premium paper. Purchase through the Alameda Shellmounds Map square payment link. 10% of all proceeds from Alameda Shellmounds Map sales go to the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Get the Alameda Shellmounds Map

    [Footnote: Imelda Merlin mentioned numerous shellmounds in her Geology Master Thesis, but none of her assertions were backed up with any relevant citations. And geology is not archaeology, ethnology, or anthropology, the areas of study that normally concern themselves with Tribal Cultural Resources like shellmounds.

    Furthermore, the famous “Imelda Merlin Shellmound Map” was actually a map of Live Oak trees present in Alameda at the time Merlin wrote her thesis (in 1977).

    The “Map of Whitcher’s Survey of ‘The Encinal’ in 1853. In Alameda City Hall.”, cited on page 104 of Merlin’s thesis, has never been found by Alameda City Hall, the Alameda Free Library, or the Alameda Museum.

    Certainly this means Imelda Merlin has failed to meet the burden of proof required for institutions like Alameda Museum to take reliance upon her claims re: Whitcher’s Survey, and locations of any mounds. Yet, somehow, Merlin’s geology thesis was Alameda Museum’s sole reference regarding shellmounds. (For years Imelda Merlin’s geology thesis was viewed as the authoritative source of information about Alameda shellmounds.)]

    Decolonize History

    One of the ways Alameda Native History Project decolonizes history is by interrogating the record. This means tracking down and reading citations. Critically evaluating reports and studies for bias. And calling out poor research, and prejudiced conclusions for what they are.

    We decolonize history by updating the maps and diagrams of our past. Producing accurate, fact-based educational and reference materials to replace the biased and inaccurate educational products–which are still misinforming our schoolchildren and the greater public today.

    By providing a more nuanced and comprehensive perspective; and doing away with the old, over-copied handouts from decades past: we are able to shed the misinformed, and racist, stereotypes and quackery that typify generations which brought us things like: “kill the indian, save the man”, Jim Crow, and “Separate But Equal”.

    We vigorously challenge the cognitive dissonance of so many California Historians, asking “Where did all the Indians go?”, at a time when the entire United States had declared war on Native Americans. … Including the first Governor of California, who called for “war of extermination” against California Native Americans.

    These ideas, stereotypes, attitudes, and beliefs have managed to propagate themselves time and time again in the textbooks and lesson plans used to “educate” countless generations of Americans.

    Isn’t it time to set the record straight?

    👉🏼 Your purchase of the Alameda Shellmound Map supports our mission of decolonizing history. 🙌🏼

  • 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!

  • Gay American Indians To March In SF Pride Parade To Celebrate 49 Years of Indigenous Resistance

    June 24, 1979; Gay American Indians banner at Civic Center during San Francisco “Gay Freedom Day Parade”. Photo by Joe Altman.

    It’s official, the first and oldest Two-Spirit Society in the Nation, the Gay American Indians, will be appearing as their own contingent in the San Francisco Pride Parade to celebrate their 49th year in existence.

    This year’s (2024) theme is “Visibility is Our Essence“.

    When Gay American Indians (GAI) was found in 1975, the world was a very homophobic and racist place. While the Castro was supposedly the Gay Mecca of the world, it was still only accessible to White Gay Men. In a very Jim Crow kind of way: Women and People of Color were refused service and kicked out of Castro businesses.

    What’s more, homophobia and learned anti-traditional behavior on reservations across Native America helped form a mass exodus of LGBTQ Native American people from their homelands, into the cities.

    Because of the discrimination and ignorance both at home, and in the Castro (and other cities), LGBTQ Native American people suffered from depression, and languished from being kept out of and separated from the social support networks enjoyed by our white gay counter-parts. This situation only compounded a suicide and substance abuse epidemic–which started soon after the Relocation Act (of 1956), and still plagues our communities today.

    But it was because of the tenacity and visibility of Two-Spirit Activists like GAI co-founders Barbara Cameron, and Randy Burns, that many of the services and rights for Native American People exists–not the least of which is the fight GAI and Two-Spirit People had with the American Anthropological Association to use the term “Two-Spirit” instead of the derogatory name “berdache” for LGBTQ Native American People.

    AIDS

    Just because we were weren’t let into businesses and bars on the Castro certainly did not mean we were spared from “Gay Diseases” like, AIDS–which ravaged the Gay American Indian community. In fact, the AIDS Epidemic hollowed out the Native American LGBTQ community worldwide.

    And, the ignorance and homophobia surrounding the virus created an impenetrable stigma which resulted in the unnecessary pain and suffering, and indignities seen across the Gay Community, but which profoundly Two-Spirit People in their own Native American communities–some of which would not let their own relatives be buried in their own cemeteries, on their own homelands.

    HIV/AIDS testing and care services are still needed in Native America.

    Roughly 20% of Native Americans living with HIV/AIDS don’t even know they are infected.

    Only 21% of Urban Natives have ever received an HIV test.

    And, despite the National HIV Infection Rate decreasing–the rate of new HIV/AIDS infections in Native American has increased by 16%.

    This is in stark contrast to the fact that only 64 out of 100 Native People living with HIV/AIDS were “virally suppressed”–meaning: taking medicine to stop the viral replication process, to become undetectable, or “untransmissible”.

    The other 36% of people who are not on medicine may not be at fault. They may be part of the 20% that doesn’t even know they’re infected; they may be unable to receive the care they need because of stigma from within their rural healthcare communities (which I have experienced first-hand) or because of the myriad barriers to gaining access to, and retaining, HIV/AIDS care and treatments.

    The amount of research The lack of testing & research done on the prevalence, rates, and effects of HIV/AIDS on Native American People and Communities means that most Health & Service Agencies are blind to the true extent and impact of the epidemic on our friends and relatives. This issue became front and center when, in 1987, the late Jodi Harry became the first Native (that we know of) to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. [Harry would later take his own life.]

    At that time the CDC did not keep track of HIV/AIDS diagnoses or deaths in the Native American Community. But that did not stop GAI from taking care of its own members. And, when male GAI members were too few or too sick, it was the sacrifice and service of our sisters, like Barbara Cameron, which helped us through one of the darkest chapters in Gay American Indians history.

    GAI will never forget the brothers and sisters we lost to HIV/AIDS. And we honor them every day we continue to breathe and fight for the rights and representation of our Two-Spirits relatives everywhere.

    The Term “Two-Spirit”

    … Refers to Native American people who do not fit the Western/European idea of what Men and Women are, and what their roles in society should be.

    [The whole premise of this first sentence is offensive to Native American people because we honestly don’t care what white people think of us. And, it’s for the very reason that all People of Color have been disregarded, or all together regarded as a monolith, that has led to countless inequities in every facet of our existence in society, from healthcare to sports. In fact, the consideration and explanation of People of Color by people who treat mayonnaise as a spice, and consider the sun an enemy has never really worked out for us, at all.]

    The term “two-spirit” came about as a preferred moniker to the term “berdache“–which is a french slur meaning “boy whore”–and is widely offensive to LGBTQ Native American People from a diverse plethora of tribes, communities, and backgrounds–and especially Lesbian Women, and people Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB.)

    Because of the work the Gay American Indians did in bringing forth their research, and the opinions of researchers like Will Roscoe, Paula Gunn Allen, Maurice Kenny, in the first Gay American Indians Anthology: “Living the Spirit”….

    … And comments and narratives from Two-Spirit People like GAI co-founders Barbara Cameron, and Randy Burns; Erna Pahe; and people like notable activist and Tribal Law Expert Clyde Hall during the 1993 American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting….

    … The American Anthropological Association has all but officially abandoned the use of the offending term, in favor of “Two-Spirit”.

    Today, Two-Spirit Associations can be found all over what some people refer to as “Turtle Island”.

    GAI’s 50 Year Anniversary

    In 2025, next year, the Gay American Indians will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary. And we are going all out. We are going to be creating story boards and presentations to honor:

    • GAI co-founder Barbara Cameron, and her legacy as an activist, SF Pride Board Member, published author, and more.
    • GAI’s ongoing legacy in SF Pride: Randy Burns, Community Pride Marshal (2005); Morningstar Vancil, Community Pride Marshal (2012); Johnson Livingston, SF Pride Board Member (2007/2008)
    • Memorial to GAI Members who Lost Their Lives to HIV/AIDS
    • Commemorating GAI Veteran and Their Service To Our Country
    • History of Gay American Indians over Five Decades, from 1975 to 2025

    If you are a GAI Member, or are an archivist, photographer, or someone who has articles, photos, recordings or other things which you think will help us tell the story of the Gay American Indians’ 50 Year Legacy, please reach out to us directly so we can arrange a time to talk about your collection/item.

    If you would like to show your support for Gay American Indians, and Two-Spirits everywhere, by marching with us in this, or next years’ San Francisco Pride Parade, you can reach out to us by emailing: gai@nativehistoryproject.org.

    Check out GAI’s event Friday, June 28th:

    For more info email GAI@nativehistoryproject.org; or call Randy Burns (650) 359-6473