I live on a land of occupation and resistance. The land I stand on, rest my head on, grow food on, raise my kids on, earn money on is Lisjan Ohlone land.

It is the land of Huchiun, currently occupied by the city of Oakland and previously occupied by the Spanish missionaries whose mission plantations in the late 1700s forced many of the Lisjan Ohlone into slavery of both the body and the mind. Like the white conquistadores before me, I live on stolen land. The occupation of Huchiun has been and continues to be resisted by the Lisjan Ohlone people who have and continue to revitalize their culture, reclaim and nourish their homeland and revive their Chochenyo language. The Confederated Villages of Lisjan have been denied federal recognition as a tribe which means they have no protected land and do not receive any benefits or compensations under US laws. Despite this, the Lisjan Ohlone people have led a successful resistance for rematriating this stolen land - a Land Tax for non-indigenous residents to pay so that the Lisjan Ohlone people can buy back their land. As spokesperson for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, Corrina Goula says,

“It does not matter whether or not this government recognizes us. My ancestors recognize me . . . this work is for them.” 

The resistance is strong and growing.

This land has been stolen further from both the Black and Japanese-American Community. The sweeping and forceful gentrification of Oakland through extreme housing prices, a history of denying Black Americans homeownership, and the increase in a white population who repeatedly leverage power and privilege over the Black community, has forced many members out of Oakland. The cultural and historical roots of the Black community in Oakland are deep, particularly having started the revolutionary Black Panther Party whose resistance to police brutality continued a long-held resistance against the forceful oppression of Black bodies. This land was further stolen from Japanese American community members and my family-by-marriage. Homes, livelihoods, business, belongings were stolen from the Japanese-American community in Oakland during the Japanese Internment of WWII. The Oakland Buddhist Church was and continues to be an impactful organization and place of belonging and resistance to oppression - sheltering belongings at the Church while citizens were interned and offering housing and community for returnees after the war.

I am a colonizer on stolen land.

Soy conquistadora.

But, this is the land of occupation and of resistance.

I contribute monthly to The Sogorea-Te Land Trust, the Indigenous Montessori Institute, and the Roots of Labor Brith Collective whose work local to Oakland is supportive birthing people through supporting birthing practices.

Our hope in offering this land acknowledgement is to encourage everyone listening to find out what native land you live on, travel to, or work on, and uplift and support the work that your local Indigenous communities are doing.

Thank you,

Mariana