Announcements

Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area

The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s Position on the Canonization (Sainthood) of Junípero Serra

To become canonized as a saint, there needs to be two verifiable postmortem miracles. Canonization (sainthood) requires two miracles, whereas beatification (blessed) requires only one. Furthermore, there needs to be evidence of: 1) having led an exemplary life of goodness and virtue worthy of imitation, 2) having died a heroic death (martyrdom), or 3) having undergone a major conversion of heart where a previous immoral life is abandoned and replaced by one of outstanding holiness.

Formally declared saints are chosen ultimately by the pope, but only after a thorough investigation of the life, writings, and legacy of the saintly candidate. Testimony from witnesses and experts, physical evidence, and the entire life of the person is examined with fine detail.

Thusly, Sainthood is reserved for those men and women who have truly performed a series of miracles for the betterment of people (suffering or not), however Sainthood should not be accorded to those persons who participated in Colonial systems of conquest and coercive conversions such as practiced by the Hispanic Empire in partnership with the Catholic Church. This colonial system of empire expansion and conquest not only by Spain, but by the other European powers as well, brought nothing but death and destruction to millions of innocent Native people residing in the Americas, and to other indigenous people around world.

Click here to read the
Muwekma Ohlone Tribe's Entire Position Statement on the Canonization of Junípero Serra

San_Jose_Suite

Hear the Sounds of a Muwekma Ohlone Chochenyo Song in the "San Jose Suite"

at the San Jose Jazz Summerfest 2015
One of the Bay Area’s biggest music festivals
Fri, Sat & Sun, August 7-9, 2015 — Downtown San Jose, CA

Etienne Charles: “San Jose Suite” (World Premiere)

Aug 8, Saturday - 3pm
California Theatre Stage

Etienne Charles & Creole Soul
Sat, Aug 8 - 6pm
Umpqua Bank Stage

Composer, arranger, recording artist and educator Etienne Charles is one of the most compelling and exciting young jazz artists on the scene, ushering the genre into groundbreaking new territory. The young trumpeter and bandleader performs the world premiere of his San Jose Suite, borne of influences from San Jose, CA; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Charles’ native St. Joseph, Trinidad.

The San Jose Suite explores stories, rituals, native chants, rhythms, and other cultural elements that shaped the three San Jose cities. This musical exploration will take place through a mix of composition and improvisation, with each movement of the 60?75 minute piece introducing cultural and historical icons, traditions, and milestone events in the history of the cities.

Charles is known to deliver a unique spin on Creole-oriented tunes, including covers from past masters ranging from Bob Marley to Thelonious Monk. His latest album Creole Soul is a captivating journey of new jazz expression, formed from his Trinidadian background. Charles has also performed with a vast range of musicians, from Roberta Flack, Rene Marie, and David Rudder to Wynton Marsalis, Johnny Mandel, and the Count Basie Orchestra, in addition to his work as Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University.

More Info and Lineup:
http://summerfest.sanjosejazz.org/artists/etienne-charles-san-jose-suite
http://www.etiennecharles.com/
https://vimeo.com/134135055

MUWEKMA OHLONE TRIBAL EVENTS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS

Join the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe at the Following Events
PAST EVENTS

  • 8th Santa Clara County American Indian Heritage Celebration Saturday, September 12, 2015, 12pm-10pm

    Muwekma Ohlone Tribe setting up an Information and Cultural Exhibit Booth (9am set-up, 12pm-7pm booth hours) – To Volunteer in the Muwekma Booth Contact Monica V. Arellano at Marellano@muwekma.org

    Location: Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Pavilion Hall, 344 Tully Rd, San Jose, CA 95111

    Cost: Free; *Parking $5*

    For More Information Contact: Monica V. Arellano at americanindianheritage@gmail.com

    www.facebook.com/pages/American-Indian-Heritage-Celebration/634033696668989

    *The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area is a Tribal Sponsor for this Event

    Download the following AIHC Documents Here:

    AIHC Save the Date Card #1

    AIHC Save the Date Card #2

    AIHC Save the Date Card #3

    AIHC Event Flyer

    AIHC Schedule of Events Flyer

    AIHC Vendor Application Form
    AIHC Honoring American Indian Resistance Leaders Nomination Form

  • Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting April 15-19, 2015,

    Location: Hilton San Francisco Union Square, 333 O'Farrell St., San Francisco, CA, 94102

    Cost: Conference Registration Fee

    For more info http://saa.org/AbouttheSociety/AnnualMeeting/tabid/138/Default.aspx

    --> Friday, April 17, 2015, 6:45pm-8:45pm, Room 19-20
    Native American Welcome Reception

    --> Saturday, April 18, 2015, Room: Franciscan CD
    [293] SYMPOSIUM ANCESTRAL NATIVE AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
    Time: 8:30 a.m.

    Presentation by Alan Leventhal, Muwekma Ethno-Historian and Archaeologist and Rosemary Cambra, Muwekma Tribal Chairwoman on Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay as Sacred Landscapes
    Time: 8:45 a.m.

    Presentation by Karen Gardner, Eric J. Bartelink, Antoinette Martinez, Alan Leventhal, Muwekma Ethno-Historian and Archaeologist, and Rosemary Cambra, Muwekma Tribal Chairwoman on Feeding the Ranks: Correlating Social Organization and Dietary Patterns at the Yukisma Mound (CA-SCL-38)

    See a copy of the presentation schedule at http://www.saa.org/Portals/0/SAA/Meetings/2015%20program/Final_2015%20program.pdf (Page 248)

  • Second Annual San Jose State University Cultural Showcase Thursday, April 23, 2015, 6pm-9:30pm (doors open at 5pm)

    Muwekma Welcoming & Opening Blessing by Monica V. Arellano, Muwekma Tribal Vice Chairwoman at 6pm

    Location: San José State University, 1 Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192

    Student Union Ballroom (top floor)

    Cost: Free, get tickets at Eventbrite free tickets http://www.eventbrite.com/e/sjsu-cultural-showcase-2015-tickets-15929929849?aff=eac2

  • 40th Anniversary San Francisco State University Powwow - Celebration of Nations Sunday, May 3, 2015, 11am-6pm

    Muwekma Welcoming & Opening Blessing by Monica V. Arellano, Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Vice Chairwoman at 11am

    Location: San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132 - Main Campus Lawn

    Free, Parking Garage $7

    For more info go to: www.facebook.com/sfsuskins

  • Gifting of Drum to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, May 5, 2015, 9 a.m.

    Members of the American Indian community of Santa Clara Valley will be gifting a drum to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. This gifting will take place at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers at 70 West Hedding Street in San Jose, CA, 95110.

    - A Special Thank You to Pablo Viramontes who made and created the drum

    - Craig Pasqua will do an overview of gifting of the drum

    - Billy LeBeau will give an honor song

    - Monica V. Arellano, Vice Chairwoman for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, will give the opening prayer

    This drum is not only being gifted but will also be used in certain Council meetings as well such as calling meetings to order and adjourning meetings. This will be a very special day for American Indian people. Hopefully you can attend and take part in this historic event.

    Location: Council Chambers at 70 West Hedding Street in San Jose, CA, 95110

    Cost: There is free parking in the parking lot at 70 West Hedding for one hour. There is also metered parking around the building.

    *In the event you are not able to attend, you can stream the meeting through the County website

  • 44th Annual Stanford Powwow Friday, May 8 - Sunday, May 10, 2015 - Mother's Day Weekend

    Muwekma Ohlone Tribe setting up an Information and Cultural Exhibit Booth (5/8, 1pm Set-up; 5/9, 9am set-up, 11am-6pm booth hours, 6pm clean-up; No booth set-up on 5/10) – To Volunteer in the Muwekma Booth Contact Monica V. Arellano at Marellano@muwekma.org

    Location: Eucalyptus Grove, Stanford University Campus (Off Galvez Street)

    Cost: Free

Based upon the results of Kelsey’s Special Indian Census, in conjunction with the discovery of the 18 unratified treaties, Congress passed multiple Appropriation Acts beginning in 1906 on through 1937, for the purpose of purchasing “home sites” for the many intact California Indian tribes and bands.

Indian Map of California by C.E. Kelsey, Special Agent
Indian Map of California by C.E. Kelsey, Special Agent for the California Indians, 1913

One of the bands specifically identified by Agent Kelsey was the Verona Band of Alameda County residing near Pleasanton, Sunol and Niles (as well as other towns and ranches surrounding Mission San Jose). The direct ancestors of the present-day Muwekma Ohlone Tribe who comprised the Verona Band became Federally Acknowledged by the U.S. Government through the Appropriation Acts of Congress of 1906 and later years. Between the years 1906 and 1927, the Verona Band fell under the direct jurisdiction of the Indian Service Bureau in Washington, D.C., and by 1914, the Tribe was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Reno Agency and later again, transferred to the Sacramento Agency. During this time, the U.S. Government Indian agents attempted to purchase land for many of the Federally Recognized, but landless California Indian tribal bands.

To this effort, both the Indian agents and the Indian bands were faced with two basic problems:

Muwekma Indian Bands
  • Many Californian landowners did not want Indians living next to them, so they would not sell suitable parcels of land
  • Individuals who were willing to sell parcels to the government wanted greatly inflated prices, usually at prices much higher than what was allocated to purchase lands, or even the value of the land

In January 1927, Sacramento Superintendent Colonel Lafayette A. Dorrington (1923-1930) received a detailed office directive from Assistant Commissioner E. B. Merritt for him to list by county all of the tribes and bands under this jurisdiction that had yet to obtain a land base for their “home sites” This directive was issued to that Congress could plan its allocation budget for fiscal year 1929. Dorrington, who was chronically derelict in his duties, decided not to respond to this, as well as many other requests. By May 1927 under investigation, Dorrington yet again received another strongly worded directive from the Assistant Commissioner E. B. Merritt.

To this second directive, Dorrington reluctantly responded on June 23, 1927 by generating a report, which in effect, illegally, unilaterally and administratively terminated the rights of approximately 135 tribal bands throughout California from their Federally Acknowledged status by completely dismissing the needs of these landless tribal groups. The very first casualty on Dorrington’s “hit list” was the Verona Band of Alameda County. Without any benefit of an on-site visitation or conducting a needs assessment, which he was charged to do by the Assistant Commissioner, Dorrington opined:

“There is one band in Alameda County commonly known as the Verona Band, … located near the town of Verona; these Indians were formely those that resided in close promixity of the Mission San Jose. It does not appear at the present time that there is need for the purchase of land for the establishment of their homes.”

Verona Band

Thus with the stroke of a pen and without benefit of any due process or direct communication with the tribe or its leaders, the muwekma/Verona Band along with the other 134 tribal bands of California, inexplicably “lost” their formal statsus as Federally Recognized Tribes. Being reduced to a landless tribe of Indians, the Muwekma were essentially knocked off the Bureau of Indian Affair’s “radar screen,” and were considered ineligible to organize under the 1934 Indian Recognization Act. According to BIA staff in 1996, they stated that “the Bureau decided not to deal with the Tribe anymore.”

During the 20th Century, no other state within the U.S. had experienced the illegal termination of so many tribal groups. This massive dismissal was deliberately a result of the callons actions and dereliction of duty by an incompetent Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) agent. Several years later. Dorrington, still being prodded by BIA officials in Washington about the needs of the landless and homeless Indians in California, offered his opinion to Commissioner Rhoads. In a letter dated April 23, 1930 Dorrington wrote:

“… Kindly be respectfully advised that the matter of land purchase for homeless Indians has really been given constant and diligent attention throughout the current fiscal year to date and an earnest effort has been made to fully meet the needs of the Indians to the fullest extent without unnecessary or unjustified expenditure of funds, believing that to be the spirit of the law and your wishes in the premises. …”

“It has been my opinion, and therefore my belief, for several years that the best interests of the Indians will be served through an arrangement whereby those concerned may be settled on the already acquired land instead of procuring additional which cannot be turned to beneficial use and occupancy by the Indians in mind because of their inability financially to establish themselves thereon.”

“…In its final analysis, Mr. Commissioner, kindly understand and know that additional land for homeless Indians of California is not required and therefore further demands on the appropriation for the fiscal year 1930 are not warranted or justified.”

By July 1931, Dorrington had either quit or was transferred or was fired and replaced by Oscar H. Lipps as Superintendent of the Sacremento Agency. Lipps, responding to an inquiry written by Assistant Commissioner J.Henry Scattergood offered specific concerns about the conditions of the homeless California Indians for whom land was purchased.

Map of the Main Ohlone/Costanoan Languages
Map of the Main Ohlone/Costanoan Languages and Major Villages (black dots)
Based on Kroeber(1925), as amended by Levy (1970)

“Receipt is acknowledged of your letter, date June 30, 1931, relating to the matter of purchasing land for homeless Indians of California. …I am addressing this letter to you personally and calling the subject matter thereof to your special attention for the reason that there appears to be a grave lack of understanding in the Office regarding this whole matter of providing homes for homeless California Indians”

“I think it is all the more important that this matter be brought to your personal attention at this time in view of your recent visit to California with the Senate Committee and your familiarity with the sentiment and feeling in this state with respect to the past administration of the affairs of the California Indian.”

“The condition on some of these rancherias are simply deplorable. No one can view many of them and observe the conditions under which the Indians are trying to exist without the feeling that some one is guilty of gross neglect or inefficiency and that a cruel injustice has been meted out to a helpless people under the name of beneficent kindness… And yet there are those who say that I will never do to let the local authorities have charge of the affairs of the Indians lest the Indians be neglected and abuse. …I have not yet seen a single instance where the federal government has done anything like so much for the improvement of the homes and living conditions of the Indians under this jurisdiction as has been done by Sonoma County for the Indians residing for the Indians residing on the Stewart’s Point Rancheria.”

J.P.Harrington Notes From an Interview with Maria De Los Angeles (Angela) Colos, A Principal Chochenyo Language Informant October 12, 1929
J.P.Harrington Notes From an Interview with Maria De Los Angeles
Transcription:
The Clarenos were much intermarried with the Chochenos. The dialect(s) were similar. muwekma, la gente (the people)

“Now it seems to me that the thing for us to do is to look at the facts in the face and admit that in the past the Government has been woefully negligent and inefficient, and then start out with the determination, as far as possible, to rectify our past mistakes. It is difficult to locate the blame, but somewhere along the line there appears to have been gross negligence or crass indifference. If Congress has been honestly and fully advised of conditions and has refused or failed to give reiief asked for, then the Indian Bureau is not responsible for the neglect of the Indians. On the other hand, if Congress believed and intended by appropriating funds for the purchase of lands for homeless Indians and improvements thereon that good and suitable lands would be purchased and houses constructed and improvements made, then we have neglected to do our duty.”

Although the Muwekma Tribe was left completely landless, and in some instances completely homeless, between 1929 and 1932 all of the surviving Verona Band/Muwekma lineages enrolled with the BIA under the 1928 California Indian Jurisdictional Act whose applications were approved by the Secretary of Interior in the pending California Claims settlement.

Ben, Tony and Frank Guzman Niles, CA 1934
Ben, Tony and Frank Guzman Niles, CA 1934
Enos Marine Sanchez
Enos Marine Sanchez,
Pfc U.S. Army, 89th Division, 1st Battalion, Co. M, 354th Infantry Regiment, (39 390 899) 1942-1945 WWII

Concurrently, between 1884 and 1934, renowned anthropologists and linguists such as Jeremiah Curtin, Alfred Kroeber, E. W. Gifford, James Alden Mason, C. Hart Merriam and John Peabody Harrington interviewed the last fluent speakers of the “Costanoan” and other Indian languages spoken at the Easy Bay rancherias.

It was during this time period that Verona Band Elders still employed their linguistic term “Muwekma” which means “la Gente” or “the People” In Chocheño and Tamien, the Ohlone (or Costanoan) language spoken in the East and South San Francisco Bay regions

Even before California Indians legally became citizens in 1924, during World War I, Muwekma men enlisted and served overseas in the United States Armed Forces, and four of them (Toney Guzman (pvt. U.S. Army), Alfred (Fred) Guzman (Pvt. U.S. Army), Henry Abraham Lincoln Nichols (Fireman U.S. Navy) and Joseph Aleas (Sgt. U.S. Army) are buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery. John (Jack) Nichols (U.S. Army) and Franklin P. Guzman (Sgt. U.S. Marine Corps) also served in World War I. Franklin Guzman is buried in the National Cemetery at Riverside, California.

Lawrence Domingo Marine Sergeant
Lawrence Domingo Marine Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps,
Guadalcanal, Eniwetok, Marshall Islands, Okinawa, Ryukyu, 1940-1946 WWII

Later, during World War II almost all of the Muwekma men served overseas in all branches of the Armed Forces. Muwekma men and women continued to serve in Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and presently, three tribal members are or had served in the U.S. Marine Corps and Army in Iraq. (See the Muwekma Veterans Booklet for more information).

Some of the Muwekma children were sent off to Indian Boarding Schools. Between 1931 and 1940. Lawrence Domingo Marine attended Indian Boarding School at Sherman Institute in Riverside, and there he met wife-to-be Pansy Potts (Maidu Tribe). After completing school, in 1940 Domingo enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ohlone Indian Cemetery
Ohlone Indian Cemetery
American Indian Historical Society
Lilian Massiatt, Ramona Galvan and Michael Galvan
Fremont, CA, 1966

Between 1944 and 1947, Jack Guzman, Jr. and his sister, Reyna attended Indian Boarding school at Chemawa, Salem, Oregon, Still landless, and completely ignored by the BIA but functioning as an unorganized tribal band, the Muwekma Tribe maintained its distinctive social ties and culture.

Between 1948 and 1957, the various Muwekma heads of households enrolled with the BIA during the second enrollment period. During the early 1960s, a relationship was forged between Muwekma Ohlone families and the American Indian Historical Society located in San Francisco. The focus of this relationship especially centered on the potential destruction of the Ohlone Indian Cemetery located in Fremont. This cemetery contains over 4,000 converted Missions San Jose Indian graves, including the immediate relations of the Muwekma families who were buried there as late as 1925.

During the 1960s the Ohlone Indian Cemetery was saved from destruction. In 1962, under the leadership of Dolores Marine Alvarez / Piscopo / Galvan and her daughter Dottie Galvan Lameira, they began to mow, clean up and protect the cemetery.

Dolores Marine’s two sons Benjamin Michael Galvan and Phiip Galvan later became important leaders in this effort in 1996, congressman Don Edwards made inquiries with National Parks and the BIA, requesting to place the Ohlone Cemetery as National Monument or into Trust. Both Federal agencies rejected the idea. By 1971, the title transferred to the non-profit tribal entity the Ohlone Indian Tribe, Inc. Afterwards, the maintenance of the cemetery has come under the stewardship of one of the Galvan families.