Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgment
The American Indian Cultural District (AICD) in partnership with AICD Ramaytush Ohlone Board Member Gregg Castro is honored to help advocate for a Citywide Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgment. On August 24th, 2020 the Cultural District wrote to Mayor Breed, San Francisco Human Rights Commission, and San Francisco Board of Supervisors with a list of demands, one demand being that the City “Honor the First People of San Francisco, The Ramaytush Ohlone, by recognizing them and their ancestral homelands prior to all City meetings.”
When our Ramaytush Ohlone relatives are acknowledged all our American Indian people are honored and recognized.
Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgment.
“We acknowledge that we are on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone who
are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. As the indigenous stewards of this
land and in accordance with their traditions, the Ramaytush Ohlone have never ceded, lost nor
forgotten their responsibilities as the caretakers of this place, as well as for all peoples who
reside in their traditional territory. As guests, we recognize that we benefit from living and
working on their traditional homeland. We wish to pay our respects by acknowledging the a
ncestors, elders and relatives of the Ramaytush Community and by affirming their sovereign
rights as First Peoples.”
— Gregg Castro/Jonathan Cordero (Ramaytush Ohlone)
About Ramaytush Ohlone
The Ramaytush (pronounced ‘rah-my-toosh’) are the original peoples of Yelamu, the San Francisco Peninsula. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1769, the Ramaytush Ohlone numbered approximately 1500 persons and lived in ten small tribal groups. Today, the four family lineages documented are from one single person, “Leandra,” who survived the colonization of San Francisco.
The Ramaytush Ohlone people are still here today and work to preserve their cultural knowledge, expand knowledge of their history, revitalize their language, and protect wahrep, mother earth, and serve the communities in San Francisco. We are honored to work beside them as guests and American Indian relatives on their ancestral home land.
Currently, the Ramaytush are working on a “Farming is Medicine” initiative in partnership with Deep Medicine Circle (DMC) to provide fresh produce and traditional medicines to the San Francisco American Indian community and our Cultural District from their 34 acre plot of land in San Gregorio. Read more about this initiative here. They have also partnered with the National Park Service to create an online elementary curriculum called Living with the Land.
For more info visit the Ramaytush Ohlone Association’s website here.
AICD Ramaytush Ohlone Projects & Partnerships
Ramaytush Ohlone Waterfront Trail
In partnership with the Exploratorium, National Park Service, and Aquatic Park & Pier, a Citywide waterfront trail will be created to give historical and current information on the Ramaytush Ohlone and American Indian community’s presence and contributions to Yelamu (San Francisco).
Ramaytush Ohlone Garden
In partnership with Golden Gate National Park Conservancy and the Presidio Trust, a small plot of land in the Fort Mason/Presidio Area will be provided to the Ramaytush Ohlone and American Indian community to create a youth garden.
Renaming half of Mission Dolores Park to Chutchui
With support of the Dolores Park Ambassadors Group and various other City entities, AICD will be motioning to rename half of Mission Dolores Park to Chutchui. AICD has dedicated a dozen Indigenize Project flagpole banners to this effort.
Francisco Park Signage
In partnership with the SF Recreation and Park Commission, three signs in the upcoming Francisco Park will be dedicated to the American Indian Community and Ramaytush Ohlone framing them as the original people of SF as well as modern people contributing to the City’s cultural climate.
Cultural Site Documentation
In partnership with SF Heritage and SF Planning, AICD will help create a database to document and preserve Ramaytush Ohlone Cultural Sites Citywide in addition to American Indian community sites.
Aquatic Park & Pier Project (APPP)
In partnership with APPP, AICD and ARO sit on the Vision Planning Committee to help make decisions about programing & Ramaytush signage at Aquatic Park.
My Park Moment Photo Contest
In partnership with Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and Presidio Trust, to celebrate the Presidio Tunnels opening there will be a Ramaytush Land Acknowledgement and dedicated photo display for the American Indian Community.
About Land Acknowledgements: https://www.ramaytush.org/land-acknowledgement.html
Land Acknowledgment Updates:
5/22/2021: SF Recreation and Parks Commission Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement Resolution
4/15/2021: SF Public Library Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement Resolution
3/24/2021: SF Commission on the Environment Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement Resolution
12/8/2020: SF Board of Supervisors Motion 201271 Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement
12/31/2020: SF Arts Commission Racial Equity Action Plan committing to establishing a Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement
11/12/2020: SF Human Rights Commission presented and voted on a Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement Resolution to urge all Boards and Commissions in the City and County of San Francisco to begin each meeting with a Land Acknowledgement. See Agenda Item 4 or watch here. The discussion starts at 13:00.
10/22/2020: SF Human Rights Commission responded to AICD demands by inviting us to discuss starting Citywide public meetings with a formalized Ramaytush Ohlone Land Acknowledgement. See Agenda Item 4.
7/15/2020: Planning Department’s Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 1127 Centering Preservation Planning on Racial and Social Equity acknowledging San Francisco is on Ramaytush Ohlone Land
(Left to Right) Kanyon Sayers-Roods (Ohlone, Chumash) and Gregg Castro (t'rowt'raahl Salinan, Rumsien-Ramaytush Ohlone) opening up the Land Acknowledgement Event at the Exploratorium with a song on July, 1, 2021.
