Oakland to Return Park Land to Indigenous People
Oakland, California is slated to become one of the first US cities to return land to Indigenous people—and the first to do so for a federally unrecognized tribe. The city council is planning to rematriate Sequoia Point—a five-acre park owned by the city—to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, the East Bay Ohlone tribe and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation for their immediate use in education, natural resources, cultural practices and more. While the five acres do not make up for the displacement and violence wrought upon Indigenous people, it serves as a model for other cities working to return land with greater autonomy—a particularly significant achievement as the first city to do so, Eureka, California, returned land only as a federal trust. This victory may be a first step, but it remains crucial. Learn more about it at USA Today.
Image courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office
Via usatoday.com link opens in a new window
