This Earth Day, East Bay EDA acknowledges the original stewards of the East Bay, the Lisjan Ohlone people. Before the familiar landmarks of the Bay Bridge and the Tribune Tower, just a couple centuries ago the Bay Area was a lush land of abundance, oak savannas, Bison, yes, Bison, salmon runs, acorns, and plentiful food and fresh water sources. The Lisjan Ohlone people are synonymous with another name, Corrina Gould, tribal spokesperson for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Ohlone and Co-Founder of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust (STLT). Born and raised in her ancestral homeland, the Ohlone territory of Huchiun, Corrina has dedicated her life’s work to rematriating the land; cultural revitalization, land restoration and bringing Lisjan Ohlone traditions back to the land. In 2018, Planting Justice returned a quarter-acre of land in East Oakland to the STLT. On the rematriated land, the STLT cultivates traditional and medicinal plants such as sage, tobacco, mugwort, along with a variety of fruits and vegetables.
To support the work at the STLT, consider paying Shuumi Land Tax, a voluntary annual contribution that non-Indigenous people living on traditional Lisjan Ohlone territory make to support their critical work. For more information, visit https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/
Photo: Corrina Gould, Co-Founder of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.