Being Ohlone in the 21st Century

Frustrating, but I see why things need to change.

This Saturday I have a meeting with the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center at Mission Dolores to fight to change the state curriculum for fourth graders on how California Indians are portrayed in the Missions. Ironic timing..

Gabe, my little brother who is nine and in fourth grade, started studying Missions today. The day I’ve been nervous about finally arrived.

I walk in the house and see him kinda down.

“What’s wrong?” I ask him

“I started studying about Indians and Missions today,” he said faking a smile

“AWESOME!” I say with totally fake enthusiasm, but hoping for the best… “What did the teacher say about indians?!”

He finally spills why he seems depressed, like it was being held back

“I told the teacher I’m Indian and she told me you can’t be full Indian. She said I’m not a real Indian…”

My blood starts boiling…….

“But our Nana was Indian, and dad is Indian and we are indians too….” he says to me, having to defend his identity from this teacher.

“You’re Indian, you’re Ohlone, it doesn’t matter what she says. Did you ask her if she ever met an Indian?” I ask

“Yeah, she told me she has one friend who is Indian and a real Indian” he says sadly

“I told her my big brother is an archaeologist and works at the Mission and knows our language and everything,” he says, almost like he did something wrong.

A real Indian?

This sickens me to my core, I am livid as I write this. There is no damn reason why a 9 year old has to defend his cultural identity. There is no reason why a 9 year old has to feel insecure. What the fuck is a real Indian? The fact our land was stolen, we have no reservation, our identity was attempted to be wiped out yet we still refuse to let it go, and in 2012 a teacher at a public school is going to tell an Ohlone kid that he’s not a real Indian. Shame.

The cultural genocide continues.

We are going to make this right. Tomorrow, Mama and Papa Medina are having some words with the teacher, and next week… I am going to be making a “presentation” in Gabe’s class on Ohlone culture (like he asked to me to) to show how “real Indians” never give up.

Real Indians fight for what is right.
Real Indians don’t lie about who they are.
Real Indians never surrender.

I’m pretty sure we are real Indians. Everyday is a struggle. But every day we keep going.

Blogging for a better future?

I starting “Being Ohlone in the 21st Century” in April of 2011, over a year and a half ago. I started writing because I was frustrated — I was frustrated with the fact the story I saw portrayed of the Ohlone didn’t match what I saw in my own reality. I was frustrated that my community had no real, intense social media presence and our story on tribal websites was portrayed in a minimalist, often unflattering light. I was frustrated with anthropologists interpreting our story on our behalf. I was frustrated that real time updates weren’t given on a regular basis, showing the vibrancy of our culture, the fact we are alive, active, here. I wanted to change this, but I didn’t know how.

I started a Twitter account in 2010 to try to give real time updates of modern Ohlone identity, but that didn’t go far. Finally, I started this blog, a Tumblr account, to try to tell my story.

This honestly started off as a social experiment. I had no idea how far it would go, and if it would even last. I look back at my past entries and see the cautiousness in my entries. I wasn’t sure if I would have enough to write about, how I should censor myself because others in my community might read it, how personal I should get, or how much I should share. This was all new to me. But our story had to be told, through social media, through honesty. I knew this.

700 entries later I think my goal is being accomplished, and I think I am just finally starting to realize that. I am not censoring myself so much, because that wouldn’t be sharing the facts of modern Ohlone identity. I’ve blurred the line between cultural and personal, because I realize everything “personal” about me has to do with culture in one way or another. I’ve shared silly pictures, jokes, issues of identity, language work, community events, articles, poetry, songs, art, and sometimes ranting posts of how I think the world should be — and maybe how we can get there. Amongst a lot of other things.

When I started this blog, I must be honest, I didn’t speak a word of my language. I didn’t know how my language sounded…. And this blog also witnessed my aspirations to speak Chochenyo. I write so much in my language on here because it is a medium, and if I don’t write… I fear I will forget. And I never want that. I started this blog unaware of my language and now I can have a conversation. I can give a speech. I can write poetry. I sing in my language, I talk to myself in the shower or in the car. There’s a long way to go, but the ground work is being laid and I see the progress on this blog. This is what I am most proud of.

Progress comes slow, justice comes slow… But it comes if we work for it. I am not alone in this. Strong, powerful, good Ohlone women and men in my community are aiming for the same things I am in many different ways — to speak our languages, to weave our baskets, to sing our songs, to dance in the roundhouse, to pray in the Ohlone way, to protect our sacred sites, to be united, to be sovereign. We are fighting for thing any human being would want — to carry the ways of our ancestors, to be proud of our identity, and to teach the next generation our way of life. We are doing the work of giants — all of us, united.

There is something intense, powerful, overwhelming, tear jerking about living in your piece of the world that you know you’re connected to, that you know is part of your DNA, your being— homeland, some might call it, but it’s deeper than that to me. It is creation, it is alive.. But we are connected in a way many do not understand, some might ridicule, and many more might not care. And as modern as we become, that connection doesn’t get lost. This is what we are fighting for. Connection, tradition, home.

Tomorrow is a new day, but today started off better than it did yesterday. Through this blog I have brought my Ohlone story into a social media presence. I look at the motto on the blog and reflect “My documentation of being one of few, an Ohlone telling his story… But now, I don’t feel so alone.

Here’s to 700 more posts.

kiš horše ek-hinnan/my heart is good

Neesa arukuš ‘ayye huššiš horše

I recently read an interview from a California Indian person, who I won’t name, who when questioned if their tribal community is working on language and cultural revitalization the response was that the money wasn’t there to rebuild culture.

I respect different views, I respect people have different ways of dealing with the effects of colonization but I believe, deep in my heart, we don’t need money to rebuild and revitalize.

I am frustrated of waiting. I am frustrated of having our story interpreted for us. I am frustrated by people telling me that my language is extinct. I am frustrated hearing these same old things painting Ohlone people into simple beings with a vague culture. I am frustrated with these things and more.

Recently while speaking to one of my heroes, Linda Yamane, who has worked to revitalized the Rumsien Ohlone language and successfully revitalized Ohlone basketry I was expressing these grievances to her, especially regarding language.

“Just do it,” she stated defiantly. “Just do it.”

She is an inspiration to me because she puts action behind her words. She works to revitalize her, language, she revitalized Rumsien songs… Unheard and unsung for decades. She revitalized Rumsien story telling. She made the first Ohlone honoring basket in 250 years, sticking to her promises, weaving together sedge and willows and collecting olivella shells, crafting into thousands of beads, dying feathers and weaving in abalone. Injuring her hands for the sake of her people. She “did it,” she put actions to her words and made something that hadn’t been made in 250 years — bringing us pride, honor, and respect. “Just do it.”

We don’t need money, funds, government recognition, or help from the outside to bring back what was lost — all we need is ourselves.

I dream of my future children living in a world that knows of Ohlone excellency, that knows our culture is complex, beautiful, strong, alive. I dream of living in a world where our language is spoken daily, in modern contexts. I dream of living in a world where a roundhouse will grace the East Bay hills and our dances will be danced again, as they have been for millennia.

“Just do it.”

These things are far away, they are distant I know… But they start with individuals. Speak Chochenyo on a a daily basis! Nonwentey Chochenyo hemmen tuuxi!!!! Understand what makes us great, our history, our struggle, our future! i-hinšuste horše, mak šaaw, mak nuunu, mak hayaa, mak huššiš! Know our culture is living, alive, present and constantly changing! And tomorrow will be better than it was yesterday.

Hemmen makkin mak hayaasin hemme ta makiš horše mak-muwekma! Together, we will make things right for our people.

I am not waiting. None of us should wait. It is happening now.

“Just do it!”

Ohlone Gathering 2012, and ethical revitalization.

I haven’t updated much over the weekend, as it was also my birthday! But the day after my birthday was the Ohlone Gathering, I posted something about it a few weeks ago on my blog. The Ohlone Gathering is the our biggest yearly celebration at Coyote Hills in the ancient Chochenyo village of Tuibun. I always love participating because I can see my friends, see what people have been working on, hear stories of strength and wisdom, and show the world how we really have indeed survived. My family came, we ate acorn, mingled with other Ohlone and really it was just wonderful. This year was a little different for a few reasons.

I just turned 26, and also this is the first year I hosted my own booth and kinda felt “on my own,” even though I know I wasn’t (as my family was there)… my table was focused on the Chochenyo language revitalization work I’m doing and I want people to be aware of it. I don’t want to do things in hiding, without transparency, but instead being open about the work that I am doing so that my community knows. I lead a prayer that was solely in the Chochenyo language in front of the crowd… it was powerful for me, because a year ago I didn’t know how to pray in my language. I didn’t put paper in front of me, I remembered the whole prayer.

Bigger issues rose for me, because something I want trying to discuss more and more is something in my mind I call “ethical revitalization.”

If anyone was determined, almost anyonecould work to bring a language back to life… but just because we have privilege and access to a wealth of language material our elders and ancestors left behind does NOT mean we can exploit it, or use it for personal gain, or glory, or solely profit, or anything that even raises questions of abuse.

An ethical revitalization, like what I am trying to incorporate with my work with Chochenyo, and I know the vast, vast majority of other California Indians believe in involves a foundation of respect, question what is right — and if unsure erring on the side of sensitivity, being aware our languages have been exploited and abused enough in the past and should not ever be again, respecting the ancestors, understanding some words, and especially some songs are sacred and not meant to be used in social settings and have specific purposes, for specific people. Ask your community, be aware, make sure your heart is in the right place — these are just a few things that are a part of an ethical revitalization for me, there’s a lot more.

It’s a fine line we are walking. We want our languages to be modern, to be used in social settings, to see our languages on Facebook updates and tweets, and heard on the streets, and in coffeeshops, and at our gatherings. This will and can and SHOULD happen. But just because this will happen, does not mean we do not have rules, guidelines we have to follow. We do, many of them.

If we follow rules, and do things the right way, our revitalization will be, in my opinion, sustainable, lasting, permanent, forever.

For All My Relations

Last weekend I was fortunate to attend a conference down in Tongva land, LA, called For All My Relations, a conference focusing on strengthening American Indian families. Aimed at both kids and adults, it was a huge success. The participants were primarily California Indians, so was really easy for me to relate to because a lot of the themes threaded through the conference relate directly to my family’s history — Missions, Gold Rush, reclaiming culture and language, and training our own to represent the beauty of our community. Those there who weren’t California Indian were pretty awesome too… hearing stories of other Indian peoples from around the country really showed me a lot though of cool our differences — and similarities are.

I gave a keynote speech on how Ohlone people are successfully reclaiming Mission Dolores as one of our institutions. Nervous at first, I quickly realized how proud my community was of what was happening… after I announced the memorial project to give recognition to the California Indians buried at our Mission I was interrupted with a round of applause. I never spoke in front of a group that large alone. My adrenaline was rushing. I know I was representing more than just myself. I got really positive feedback. Words can’t describe…….

That night I was describing to a group of kids in a tribal youth ambassador workshop how I try to represent my people. I wasn’t there alone — my friends Nikki, who is Pomo, the director of the California Indian Museum and Culture Center (as well as a lawyer), and Jacque, who is Acjachemen, and a master storyteller, singer, and cultural leader described their experiences of how we as California Indian people have to often work twice as hard, but we gotta represent our people and our communities well. We asked the kids to tell us something good about their people on a microphone so they could practice public speaking. My favorite response from a little girl, who was Miwok, was simply on her reservation “I feel safe.” These kids, they represent the next generation of our people — they demonstrate that our ancestors determination to fight, to resist, to stay strong, to never give up our identity was not in vain. 200+ years after the occupation of our land began we are still here — stubbornly keeping our identity with pride. Our next generation knows this.

The next day was a banquet where awards were given. Melodie Moore, who is Hoopa, and the mother of a friend of mine, was given an award of being a cultural bearer — as she has done many things for our community, but especially in reviving spiritual ceremonies that, because of massacres from whites and other injustices, were sleeping for some time but now back in force. She is a hero.

And to my surprise — I was given an award. Honored by my community, I was given the award for being an Emerging Leader!

I was given a powerful introduction from Joe Myers, who is Pomo and worked for our people in law for decades. I saw my picture on the projectors and wow… was in shock that was actually happening. I am not working for glory, or recognition… But sometimes it feels good and gives an extra dose of validation ands legitimacy to the work I am doing. This honor, this wonderful honor, gave me so much pride. Thank you to those who recognized me. Thank you, thank you, thank you..

The rest of the conference continued on with strength. I saw a movie with a Chumash leader — Ernestine de Soto who traces her ancestry back in a movie “Six Generations,” to before the invasion. She gave a heart wrenching speech after that brought many to tears — of pain, anger, and defiance on what Europeans tried to take from us — and how unfair and wrong it is. Through her speech, she also demonstrated though, which I think we can all agree on, how we do not give up despite those injustices.

I gave another ambassador training to kids where I was working with Jacque again and we talked more about how to represent our people — representing more than just us. It was pretty awesome.

The next day, which was the closing, I gave a talk on the success I am having with revitalizing the Chochenyo language, and heard of other language success from the Luiseño, Pomo, and Hupa communities… Such strength! They tried to take our languages away, but failed.

We ended the ceremony with a chant in the Acjachemen language — a song — shouting as defiantly as possible in unity “WE ARE STILL HERE!!!” Like those before us, we inherit that pride — never give up, because tomorrow will be better. It will continue on forever, and ever, and ever.

challenges & success

A year and a half ago, I didn’t speak a word of Chochenyo and now I can have a conversation in our language — this is success. However, there are many challenges to any language revitalization movement, but the Chochenyo language revitalization has challenges we are overcoming that many languages being revitalized do not have. One challenge is a limited vocabulary. So much was lost because of the waves of invasion in our land, and many words that existed before were unfortunately forgotten, or not recorded, by the 20th century.

It is necessary if Chochenyo will become a modern language to make words that we use daily, and it is possible to extend the meaning of words to fit our needs. One example is the other day I was driving on the San Mateo Bridge and wondered what a word I could use for bridge in Chochenyo would be so I combined two words, “innutka,” meaning “road, or trail,” and “si” meaning “water” and created a new word based on traditional words “innutka’si” or “water-road.”

If we cannot find a Chochenyo word for something, it is easy to substitute an English word, such as mam roote em-Starbucks-tak? or are you at Starbucks?

Another way to find words is to “Chochenyo-ize” other Ohlone words from different Ohlone languages, preferably Mutsun, which has the most complete dictionary and grammar. It is possible to find ways to borrow existing Mutsun words and give them Chochenyo qualities.

Another challenge I have faced is finding people to speak to, as I often speak to myself. The community of Chochenyo speakers is very small, and many of us are not interacting on a daily basis. How can we encourage new speakers? This is a bridge I will have to cross when I have a better understanding of the language and am able to teach others.

While there is a lot of success, there are challenges — but these challenges can and will be overcome. A year ago I didn’t speak a word in Chochenyo, but today the words of my ancestors fill my mind every day. Our language is alive yet again, and we will ensure it will not be taken away from us again.

something i wrote a year ago that rings just as true today as it was last year. the only thing that is different is we, on our own, have fought to preserve even more of what we have lost. change happens, but we are doing it ourselves.

Reflections on the Fourth of July

People change. Countries change. The theory is that the mindsets of people over time are supposed to evolve, and get better inching more and more towards fairness for every person despite race, gender, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and so on…

So is America today in 2011 dramatically different from when America took over California in 1848? Yes, of course it is. Knowing this, I can still be a critic of my nation and current policies that need to change in 2011.

Ohlone people persevered through three different invasions, but the worst and most brutal, hands down, was when the United States military came across the Sierra Nevada mountains and took California from Mexico. A genocide occurred. I can say the worst and most tragic time for Ohlone people was during this invasion.

While Spanish policies towards Ohlone were not perfect, the Spanish, in the basic sense of the word, saw California Indians as being human beings. There were two phrases the Spanish used: gente de razon (which means people of reason), and gente sin razon (people without reason). The Spanish saw themselves as being people of reason, and stupidly saw California Indians as being people without reason but the word gente, or people, remains. The goal of the Spanish was never to kill off Ohlone, but to change us so eventually we would be taxpaying Catholic citizens of Spanish California, and this land would forever be part of their empire. That didn’t really happen obviously….

Then the Americans came in and the nightmare began for Ohlone. Most Americans coming to exploit our homeland’s resources during the gold rush came out of greed and selfishness and saw my ancestors as not even being human, but being beasts, savages, dogs, pigs. They enslaved us, tortured us, murdered us, compared us to pigs, shot us for sport, massacred innocent women, children, and men… old and young. They denied us any rights, a right to testify against them in court. All in the name of racism and greed.

Newspapers reported torture of California Indians such as this:

“The attacking party rushed upon them, blowing out their brains and splitting their heads open with tomahawks. Little children in baskets, and even babes, had their heads smashed to pieces or cut open. Mothers and infants shared the same phenomenon…. Many of the fugitives were chased or shot as they ran…. The children, scarcely able to run, toddled toward the squaws for protection, crying with fright, but were overtaken, slaughtered like wild animals and thrown into piles.”

The governor of the state of California wrote a personal thank you letter to the perpetrators of this massacre.

Peter Burnett, the first American governor of the state, even advocated for an outright genocide of California Indians. A final solution, here in our dear state… but who talks about it? His own words were “that a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the two races until the Indian race becomes extinct….”

Disgusting.

How am I supposed to feel celebrating the birth of this country that was responsible for this? The America I know in 2011 that I grew up in is dramatically different than this picture of America in the mid 1800s, understandably, but knowing these tragedies occurred is painful.

Is the horror over for Ohlone?

I guess it’s amazing what perceived “extinct” people can do. The plan of the American gold rush pioneers to exterminate us failed, but fast forward to 2011 and their descendant’s view of our sovereignty has not changed much. We are still systematically denied federal recognition, as the government’s official stance is that we do not exist anymore. We do not have a land base, we not do have access to federal benefits, our most sacred sites are trampled on. When my great grandmother was alive, she was a part of the Verona Band that successfully negotiated federal recognition, however a rouge Indian agent dropped them from the list and congress never ratified Ohlone recognition. The struggle continues…

And there has never been an apology for the genocide. 90 percent of Ohlone were killed, yet it’s hardly discussed.

My country, America, has blood on its hands and while I accept that this country has changed, a lot still needs to be done to get out of the night, murut, murtu, the darkness.

YES CHOCHENYO OHLONE PEOPLE WERE ONCE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED! As recent as my great-grandmother we were granted federal recognition by the US government until a rouge corrupt Indian agent decided to drop us off the list without cause.

Ohlone yo momma jokes made by a friend, Quirina. Sokwe. Awesome! :D

Descendant?

Every so often us Ohlone are asked by museums, parks, and schools to interpret our history… to talk about how things were before the invasion. I am always happy to do so because I know each chance to people is a chance to educate — to fight misconceptions people have of our culture. All good to me.

One thing I do not like though is how we are often presented. “I would like to introduce Vince Medina, a descendant of the Ohlone Indians,” a teacher with often say during his or her opening speech.

I am an Ohlone person. I am not an Ohlone descendant.

To say “descendant,” to me, is being a fragment of something that once was. As if to say the original Ohlone are long gone, and those who exist today are only a fragment of what was. It is untrue.

I am an Ohlone person. I come from an unbroken line of thousands of years of cultural continuity that has persevered waves of invasions with strength, and courage; all of us modern Ohlone are heirs to their legacy.

While Ohlone of the 21st century might not all speak our traditional languages, we might not all eat traditional foods, we might not all practice every practice our ancestors did does not undermine the fact that we are Ohlone. Over time all cultures change, and adapt and ours is no different.

So teachers, educators, curators, and others— we are not descendants of a bygone cultural group. We are the ones carrying their legacy, we are Ohlone people, just living in a different era than those before us.