2025 Native American Heritage Month Proclamation
November is designated as National Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor and celebrate the rich history, culture, and connection to traditions, stories, languages, music, food, and more within the Indigenous community. We also honor and uplift the continuous contributions, leadership, and enduring resilience of Indigenous Peoples throughout the United States, which include Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated island communities.
The City of Alameda sits on the unceded ancestral territory of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people, the original inhabitants and caretakers of this land, who lived and thrived in what we now call Alameda, and other parts of the East Bay, long before the arrival of European settlers.
In 2021, a local grassroots effort to rename a local park that carried the name of a former US President who supported slavery and forced Native Americans from their homes, resulted in the park being renamed Chochenyo Park in recognition of the language spoken by the local Lisjan (Leeshawn) Ohlone people.
The presence of the Ohlone people in Alameda is evidenced by the former locations of massive sacred shellmounds which served as ancient ceremonial, village, and burial sites. One of the largest, the Sather Mound, was located near the current intersection of Santa Clara Avenue and Mound Street, whose name is a reference to this historic site.
Today, California is home to the largest population of Native Americans in the United States and more than 110 federally recognized tribes. The City of Alameda is home to approximately 367 residents who identify as Native American or Alaska Native.
The contributions of contemporary Native Americans — including Deb Haaland, former United States Secretary of the Interior, Congresswoman, and current candidate for Governor of New Mexico; Joy Harjo, former U.S. Poet Laureate; Lily Gladstone, acclaimed actress; and Sterlin Harjo, accomplished filmmaker — have impacted and enriched the government, arts, and culture of our nation.
Now, therefore I, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Mayor of the City of Alameda, do hereby proclaim November 2025 as
Native American Heritage Month
in the City of Alameda, and encourage all Alamedans to learn more about Native and Indigenous communities by attending local events, including:
The Oakland Museum of California’s new exhibition, “Good Fire: Tending Native Lands,” which opens Friday, November 7 and runs through May 31, 2026,
and the Alameda Free Library’s:
• Afternoon with Café Ohlone: Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino present Ohlone culture past and present, and serve brownies made with preserved indigenous ingredients. Thursday, November 13, 4:00 PM, Children’s Program Room, Main Library.
• Sogorea Te' Land Trust: Corrina Gould of Sogorea Te' Land Trust will speak about her organization’s history, values, and commitment to uplifting and expanding Indigenous land stewardship on Turtle Island. Thursday, November 13, 4:00 PM, Stafford Room, Main Library.
• Ohlone Star Stories: Cafe Ohlone co-founders, and planetarium show developers, Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino share Ohlone stories about the stars and teach a song about stars in Chocheyno for Ages 5 and up. Saturday, November 22, 1:00 PM, Bay Farm Island Library.
• Storyteller and artisan Alicia Retes presents an interactive program for all ages that includes indigenous stories and songs related to ecological techniques practiced by indigenous peoples, as well as her Mobile Garden. Saturday, November 22, 2:00 PM, West End Library.