“This sacred site represents our living culture and more than 5,000 years of our history. We will not allow our ancestors to be disturbed.”
—Joint statement from Ohlone family bands
Hello local settlers, it is a vitally important and urgent time to tune in to the Indigenous-led campaign to save the West Berkeley Shellmound, learn and understand the profound significance of this Ohlone ancient burial ground and sacred site, and to teach others, and get involved with many forms of support.
“The West Berkeley Shellmound is an Ohlone sacred village and burial site that is approximately 5,700 years old. Located in Berkeley, CA it is the oldest site of human habitation in the Bay Area. The West Berkeley Shellmound (WBS) is at risk of desecration by a five story condo and shopping development proposed by Blake Griggs Properties (BGP). On March 8, West Berkeley Investors (WBI), a subsidiary of BGP, submitted a new housing proposal that meets the qualifications of the recently enacted California Senate Bill 35 (SB35). Opposed by the City of Berkeley’s Rent Stabilization Board, the controversial bill creates a streamlined approval process for developments that meet a minimum affordable housing percentage. To date, Ohlone leaders have rejected the proposal. The Berkeley City Landmarks Commission recognizes that the WBS is “highly significant to native descendants as a sacred burial site.” Past excavations in and around the proposed site have uncovered hundreds of human burials and undisturbed cultural remains. Most crucially, the Shellmound continues to be a cultural resource for Ohlone people today. Members of the Ohlone community gather at the site for prayer and ceremony.” – West Berkeley Shellmound Facebook group
ACTION ALERT
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Please spend some time with the educational website of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, an Urban Indigenous Women-Led Land Trust in the East Bay.
You will find resources to learn about contemporary Ohlone history and the guiding vision of this land trust.
Sogorea Te creates opportunities for all people living in Ohlone territory to work together to re-envision the Bay Area community and what it means to live on Ohlone land. Guided by the belief that land is the foundation that can bring us together, Sogorea Te calls on us all to heal from the legacies of colonialism and genocide, to remember different ways of living, and to do the work that our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do.
One significant step you can take is to learn about the Shuumi Land Tax, reflect on your own relationship to where you live, its Indigenous histories, and collective vision for healing and justice.
Shuumi Land Tax – The Land You Live On
Do you live in Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, San Leandro, Alameda, Piedmont, Hayward, Union City, Fremont, Pleasanton, Pinole, Livermore, Moraga, Orinda, El Sobrante, Danville, Walnut Creek, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Benicia or Vallejo?
If the answer is yes, you live on traditional Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone land. This land has a deep history and a community of people who have lived here for thousands of years. For those of us who are not Indigenous to this land, the Shuumi Land Tax is a way to acknowledge this history and the Ohlone community.