After thousands of years, the Ohlone people and their supporters celebrated the return of sacred Native land in Berkeley, California. The 2.2-acre parking lot, the last undeveloped part of the shellmound in West Berkeley, holds significant historical importance as the site of the first human settlement on the San Francisco Bay shoreline 5,700 years ago.
The Berkeley City Council unanimously passed an ordinance granting the land title to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, a collective dedicated to returning land to Indigenous people. The collective, led by women, successfully raised funds to secure the agreement with the developers who owned the land.
The land will serve as a gathering place for global Indigenous leadership, offering education, restoration, and healing opportunities. The site, designated as a landmark in 2000, will feature Native medicines and foods, provide a habitat for pollinators and wildlife, and offer a space for youth to learn about their heritage through ancient dances and ceremonies.
Mayor Jesse Arreguín emphasized the resilience of the Ohlone community, highlighting their history of overcoming adversity. The area, once home to a village and a massive shellmound used for ceremonies and burials, was tragically destroyed by Spanish colonizers and later Anglo settlers.
Following a six-year legal battle, an agreement was reached with the developer, Ruegg & Ellsworth LLC, resulting in the land's return to Berkeley. The Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and the city contributed funds to secure the settlement, paving the way for the creation of a commemorative park with a new shellmound and a cultural center to showcase artifacts.
Corrina Gould, a key figure in the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust and tribal chair of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Ohlone, expressed profound gratitude for the preservation of the site, which holds deep cultural significance for the Ohlone people.
