Land Acknowledgment

City of Lafayette Indigenous Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that Lafayette is part of the unceded, ancestral homeland of the Bay Miwok people. The Bay
Miwok and neighboring Ohlone people have lived in and moved through this place for thousands of years.
They stewarded and shaped this land for hundreds of generations. We express our appreciation and gratitude
for this profound legacy, which enhances and contributes to our lives to this day. We will strive to honor this
land and strengthen our ties with the Indigenous communities that continue to live and work in our East Bay
region as our neighbors and community members. We acknowledge and honor them and their ancestors,
elders, and next seven generations.

Many communities and institutions have adopted land acknowledgment statements, whose purpose is to show respect to the indigenous people and their descendants who are still part of the community, to take a step toward undoing the intentional erasure of the history and culture of the indigenous people, and to inspire everyone to learn more about that history and to reflect on what it means to occupy space on unceded indigenous lands.

In early 2023, as part of the yearlong recognition of 175+ years of Lafayette’s history, the City Council appointed a task force to lead the community journey in considering whether Lafayette should adopt a form of land acknowledgment. In October, the City Council accepted the recommendations of the Task Force and adopted the land acknowledgment statement and related actions. Read the full Staff Report.

The City is currently working to implement the these additional actions:

• Add the Land Acknowledgment statement in the new wrap for the utility box at corner of Mt. Diablo and Lafayette Circle.
• Replace the current street sign at Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Lafayette Circle to include both “Mt. Diablo Blvd.” and “Tuyshtak” (name of mountain used by Ohlone, which means “dawn of time”)
• Install Bay Miwok educational signs at the Rain Garden and the Community Center. Encourage placement at Lafayette Reservoir.
• Invite a speaker to a future Council meeting to present on Indigenous history and land management.
• Support a public mural recognizing indigenous culture.

For more information, or to get involved, contact Niroop Srivatsa, City Manager.

Unveiling Ceremony on Monday, April 8 at 2 pm

The community is invited to a special unveiling ceremony of two significant projects that symbolize our commitment to honoring indigenous heritage and recognizing the rich history of this land: the new utility box wrap and a new street sign at Mt. Diablo Blvd. and Lafayette Circle, incorporating both "Mt. Diablo Blvd." and "Tuyshtak" - Please join us for this special occasion on April 8 at 2 pm at the corner of Mt Diablo Blvd and Lafayette Circle. Your presence will make this event even more meaningful as we celebrate and honor our shared history and cultural diversity.

Links and Resources

• Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
• Muwekma Ohlone Tribe
• September 9, 2024 City Council Presentation (the presentation starts at 24:40)

 Bay Area and California Resources:

• East Bay Regional Park District: Ohlone Curriculum with Bay Miwok Content and Introduction to Delta Yokuts | Ohlone, Bay Miwok, and Delta Yokut Cultures (videos)
• Museum of the San Ramon Valley
• Lafayette Historical Society
• Lafayette Community Garden and Outdoor Learning Center the public is welcome to visit the replica Ohlone hut during community open hours; Tours and school visits can be arranged on request.
• California Historical Society
• California Indian Museum & Cultural Center
• Alliance for California Traditional Arts

Introductions to California Native American History:

• California Native American Heritage Commission Short Overview of California Indian History
• California State Parks’ The Miwok People
• National Park Service Ohlones and Coast Miwoks
• National Park Service History of American Indians in California 

Reading Suggestions:

• We Are the Land: A History of Native California by Damon Akins & William Bauer Jr.
• California Through Native Eyes: Reclaiming History by William Bauer Jr.
• A Time of Little Choice: The Disintegration of Tribal Culture in the San Francisco Bay Area 1769-1810 by Randall Milliken 
• Native Americans at Mission San Jose by Randall Milliken
• Chief Marin: Leader, Rebel, and Legend by Betty Goerke
• Resurrecting the Past: The California Mission Myth by Michelle Lorimer
• An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe by Benjamin Madley
• Indians and Intruders in Central California, 1769-1849 by George Harwood Phillips
• Mabel McKay: Weaving the Dream by Greg Sarris

More reading suggestions for Native American Heritage Month 2023 (courtesy of Contra Costa County Library)

• Native Voices: Stories of Native American/Indigenous Authors - Works of a wide range of genres and themes, for readers to explore the diverse world of Native American voices and storytelling.
• Indigenous and Native American Teen Reads - Explore a small piece of the diverse world of Native American literature for teens.
• Indigenous and Native American Reads for Kids - Indigenous and Native American storytelling for toddlers and kids.

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Illustration of Saklan women drawn in 1816 - Copyright. Used with permission.