Land Acknowledgements

We recognize that while we come together in San Jose, we gather on the tribal territory of the Thámien Ohlone-speaking groups of the Santa Clara Valley, including the Thámiens, Alsons, Matalans, and Paleños. These groups were intermarried with the ancestors of some members of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, missionized into Missions San Francisco, Santa Clara, and San Jose.

The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, with over 600 members, descends from the Indian lineages native to the San Francisco Bay region, tracing their ancestry through Missions Santa Clara, San Jose, and San Francisco since the Hispano-European expansion into Alta California in 1769. The Muwekma families are successors of the Verona Band of Alameda County, now the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area. "Muwékma" means "The People" in Chochenyo-Ohlone.

The land of San Jose holds spiritual and historical significance for the Muwekma Ohlone People. This region once had several Túupentaks, traditional spiritual round houses, and ancestral heritage sites. Today, many of these sites have been destroyed by development, but they are still considered sacred and historic.

The Muwekma Ohlone leadership and members work to protect these ancestral sites, like the old Holiday Inn Site along the Guadalupe River and the Metcalfe Road Site along Coyote Creek. San Jose and Santa Clara County are within the tribe’s ancestral Thámien Ohlone territory, which includes unceded lands of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. Some enrolled lineages descend from ancestors associated with Mission Santa Clara, and others from neighboring Ohlone tribes intermarried with Mission Santa Clara, San Francisco, and San Jose Indians.

It is important to acknowledge the history of the Thámien Ohlone land and recognize that the Muwekma Ohlone People are thriving members of the San Jose and Bay Area communities today. Despite being denied a land base by the BIA, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe has maintained their identity, traditions, and language. They strive to repair the ecological, environmental, and cultural damage caused by over 251 years of colonial disenfranchisement.

We request that the citizens of San Jose and surrounding towns be stewards of the bay, creeks, plants, animal habitats, and the air. We also honor the Muwekma men and women who have served in the military. Let us all respect the aboriginal lands and strive to be good stewards for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, reflecting on the sacred lands of the Thámien Ohlone, ancestors of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.