Sogorea Te - Defend Sacred Sites - Protect Glen Cove

Yesterday, CRP artists traveled out to Sogorea Te, which has been nicknamed "Glen Cove" by confused tourists near Vallejo. Sogorea Te is a sacred site to the Muwekma Ohlone people, who have buried their ancestors in shellmounds near the waters of the Bay Area for the past 3,500 years. Indigenous activists have occupied Sogorea Te for the past three weeks to protect the space from developers. It is a spiritual encampment with daily ceremonies acknowledging the ancestors and praying forward for the next several generation.

The Greater Vallejo Recreation District has ignored indigenous concerns and attempted to push forward with developing the site including paving part of the area for more parking, adding toilets and leveling a huge section of the space to improve the view of the water for the neighbors. Although GVRD was initially in talks with the original residents, they have cut off dialogue and are sending in surveyors to plan for the imminent desecration. The federal government spoke about mediation but the person that they sent is not dealing with the local indigenous people or the traditional leaders, instead discussing the matter with uninvolved Native American Heritage Commission delegates appointed by governor Jerry Brown, who have little to no validity in the negotiating the matter. Once again, the government is appointing spokesmen that they can control to create the illusion of negotiation and agreement, while ignoring and invalidating the actual tribal representation.

Please stay tuned. For more information, go to www.protectglencove.org.