Publish to Newswire
Add an EventAmah Mutsun Tribal Band: History and Current Efforts to Steward Ancestral Lands
Import event into your personal calendar
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdO6tqj0sE9wvvfugmcm0cx6o7_hEFKwV
Thursday, December 2, 6:30 pm. Open to the public via Zoom.
Join Amah Mutsun Tribal Chair Valentin Lopez for a special hour-long presentation that will include Tribal history, and ongoing Tribal efforts to steward its Ancestral Lands. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band is composed of descendants from those who were taken to Mission San Juan Bautista and Mission Santa Cruz. Much of the southern portion of Santa Clara County is part of the Tribe's Ancestral Territory. Tribal Ancestors faced overt waves of genocide and forced land appropriation. By the turn of the 20th century, nearly 98% of the Indigenous population of the region had been wiped out.
Juristac is the most important ceremonial site for the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. Juristac's boundaries stretch from Santa Clara County, into San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties. Aside from Juristac's religious and cultural importance, the land is a critical part of the region's ecology. It provides unique habitats for threatened species, it is located on the banks of the Pajaro River, and it is the center of the only wildlife corridor to connect otherwise isolated animal populations in the Santa Cruz, Gavilan, and Diablo Mountain Ranges.
The media have dubbed Juristac as 'Silicon Valley's version of Standing Rock'. Juristac is threatened by ongoing oil production, ongoing construction activities, and by a proposal for a massive open-pit mine. The draft environmental impact report for this open-pit mine is due to be released in the near future. And the Tribe is working with many groups and residents to oppose the creation of the mine. The Santa Clara Democratic Party, the Santa Cruz Democratic Party, CDP Region 7, and the California Democratic Party at the state level have all passed resolutions to oppose the creation of that mine. Please consider attending this meeting, and learn what you can do to act in solidarity with the Tribe.
Register in advance for this free event, open to members and non-members alike.
The zoom room opens at 6:00 pm and the meeting begins at 6:30 pm.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdO6tqj0sE9wvvfugmcm0cx6o7_hEFKwV
The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band represents descendants of those who were taken to Mission San Juan Bautista and Mission Santa Cruz. The Tribe created the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, which has entered agreements to help steward Ancestral Lands which exist within multiple regional, State, and Federal Parks--as well as within numerous open space preserves. The Ancestors of the Amah Mutsun faced one of the most complete genocides in human history, with their population reduced by 98% between the late 1700's CE and CE 1900. Today, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band is the largest organization of Indigenous Amerindian Peoples within Santa Cruz County, and one of the three largest Tribes of the Ohlone Peoples. However, the Tribe faces particular challenges that are often not adequately addressed by our current political-economic system. Topics covered at these presentations will include: --The Indigenous history of the region. --The effects of colonialism in the region (including organized genocide, slavery, the forced removal of children, and legalized discrimination). --Socio-economic issues currently effecting Tribal Members. --The efforts to remove the whitewashing of Mission-era history (including rewriting school textbooks and removing El Camino Real monuments) --The efforts to protect the thousands of Indigenous burial, cultural, and sacred sites found throughout the region. --The Amah Mutsun Land Trust (including efforts to protect the ecology of Ancestral Lands and reintroduce controlled 'cultural burns' to prevent catastrophic wildfires) --The ongoing efforts to protect the most sacred Amah Mutsun ceremonial site--Juristac. The effort to Protect Juristac in particular is a paramount issue for the Tribe. The boundaries of Juristac stretch across the Counties of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Monterey. An incredibly culturally significant and ecologically critical portion of Juristac located within Santa Clara County is currently being threatened by a proposed open-pit mine. This situation has been referred to as 'Silicon Valley's Version of Standing Rock'. Numerous organizations and municipalities have passed resolutions supporting the Tribe's efforts to Protect Juristac. More information on Juristac can be found at www.protectjuristac.org. The presentation will take place on December 2 (6:30-7:30 PM) during the guest speaker section of the Santa Cruz County Mid-County Democratic Club's December meeting. The presentation is non-partisan in nature, and is not meant to endorse any political party. A description of the event can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/426646712501009/ Registration to the Zoom event can be completed at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdO6tqj0sE9wvvfugmcm0cx6o7_hEFKwV?fbclid=IwAR3u0KmBQMqcc1sx_rLsRYKRx-U9h4xpBtqm3Htz5jQPYRyOVrse9KRG-7I
Donate
$75.00 donated
in the past month
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.