Reclaiming Our Ancestral Lands

Founded in 2021, the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation's core mission is to secure access, ownership, and stewardship of ancestral territories for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, establishing a permanent land base dedicated to conservation, cultural revitalization, and sovereign resilience. As a landless Tribe in the heart of their 8,000-year homeland—spanning the San Francisco Bay Area—we drive rematriation: the return of lands to Indigenous hands, honoring matrilineal lineages and restoring reciprocal relationships with the earth. This work counters centuries of colonial dispossession, from Spanish missions to U.S. policies, enabling clean water, healthy soils, and vibrant ecosystems under tribal care.

The Sacred Imperative of Land Return

For the Muwekma, land is not commodity but kin—essential for spiritual well-being, ceremonies, and sustaining 'innu heeme (culture). Dispossession severed our ability to harvest native plants like mugwort and elderberry, gather feathers for regalia, or host sweat lodges, fracturing community health. Rematriation heals this void through restorative justice, empowering tribal decision-making for biodiversity and cultural continuity. As Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh affirms, "Returning the land eliminates government burdens, replacing them with sustainable, Indigenous-led stewardship that nurtures all beings."

Pioneering Initiatives

Presidio Rematriation Campaign

In 2025, we petitioned the federal government to rematriate the Presidio—a 1,500-acre national park on our unceded Yelamu Ohlone territory in San Francisco—proclaiming it an Indian reservation. This bold framework revives traditions, supports native gardens, and ensures permanent conservation, freeing resources for youth programs and elder gatherings. Backed by allies like Lakota Law, the campaign amplifies calls for sovereignty amid ongoing federal recognition advocacy.

Land Access Partnerships

We forge collaborations with landowners and preserves to grant immediate access for resource gathering, ceremonies, and environmental stewardship across ancestral counties. At 'Ootchamin 'Ooyakma (Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve), youth campouts blend botany, storytelling, and clean-ups, fostering hands-on conservation while genomic and ethnohistorical research affirms our Puichon lineage. These partnerships pave pathways to full ownership, prioritizing sustainable harvesting and habitat restoration.

Reclamation Exhibitions and Advocacy

Through "Reclamation" exhibits at New Museum Los Gatos, we map ancestral villages like Ssipùtca, educating on land ties and rallying support for reacquisition. Congressional resolutions and school integrations extend our reach, building coalitions for permanent bases where we can protect against degradation and thrive.

A Future Rooted in Resilience

Our vision: A conserved land base where Muwekma youth dance yišša under clean skies, elders rebury ancestors with dignity, and allies join in utas warep (land stewardship). By 2026, expanded Presidio efforts and new easements signal momentum toward full rematriation, ensuring ecosystems flourish for generations.

Join the Movement

Support petitions, donate to land funds, or partner for access—email info@muwekmafoundation.org. Together, we rematriate not just land, but our sacred story.