The Advocate

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. Whi

The San Leandro City Council is having their next regular meeting this Monday, July 19, beginning at 6:30 PM PDT. What’s on the agenda? Climate action, racial justice, police brutality, mental health crisis response, menthol cigarettes, community health, reimagining public safety, affordable housing, and more besides! The Zoom link is here . Alternatively, you can call in at 1-888-788-0099 or 1-877-853-5247. If you are unable to join in real-time, you can still submit your comments to clerk@sanleandro.org. If you do, make sure to CC citycouncil@sanleandro.org to make sure every elected official gets to read what your voice wants them to hear. That said, let’s start in order of appearance! Agenda Item 1.A, Pledge of Allegiance It’s past time we acknowledge that American was founded on stolen land and slave labor. Without accepting the truth of our history, we are doomed to repeat it. Or, at the very least, commit the same sins in rhyme. Including a land acknowledgment helps ground our c