Land Back: The Sogorea Te’ Land Trust

Art by @ines_ixierda

San Leandro sits on the unceded land of the Lisjan Ohlone people. They have lived here for thousands of years before even recorded history as far as we have been able to discern. The Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is an urban Indigenous women-led land trust based in the San Francisco Bay Area that facilitates the rematriation of their land, with a particular emphasis on the Ohlone people. 

Because of the destruction wrought on them by the Spanish, Catholic missionaries, American settlers, as well as other colonizers, the Ohlone are not part of a federally recognized band. However, they do descend from the federally recognized Verona band of Alameda County.

Currently, they are holding a fundraising event this month as part of the larger land back movement to return Indigenous land to Indigenous people. Here is what they have to say:

“To do Indigenous-led work in one the most expensive “real estate markets” in the world, Indigenous people have to be able to live here. While our work opens urban Indigenous access to land in many important ways, we still don't actually “own” any land. Our local tribe doesn't “own” any land. None of the Indigenous people on our staff “own” land. We cannot build housing on the land we currently have access to. So we’re going to start buying it back. A rare opportunity has come to us and we want to take it. Help us buy our first house. Help us return this land to Indigenous Hands. Help us raise $750,000 by August 28th. ♥️ Rematriate the Land Fund. ♥️”

Please donate and, if possible, consider setting up a regular Shuumi payment. By providing this ongoing donation, you are helping to repay the enormous debt we owe to the Indigenous people whose land and lives we have stolen, as well as whose work is critical for our future as a city. Learn more on their website.

You can watch a recording of one of STLT’s leaders, Corrina Gould, presenting to the city council at mark 57:52 to 1:04:53. You may also want to explore our local San Leandro resiliency hub that is a shared digital space for many CBOs, like STLT and other social justice groups, to connect and work in solidarity. Lastly, contact our local officials at citycouncil@sanleandro.org and advocate for them to support the work of Indigenous peoples by voting to rematriate land back to the Ohlone people, including a land acknowledgment at the beginning of every public meeting, as well as paying our city’s Shuumi share.

Take note and take care.