Yet as Vince and Louis stand in our outdoor classroom at the foot of Grandmother Oak, their stories of revitalization and resilience are as much about Ohlone language reinforcing a sacred connection to the natural world as they are about the gifts within it. For California Natives, access to knowledge of language, stories, and songs is severely limited, as they stand among some of the most devastated Native communities across Turtle Island (North America) in the wake of Spanish conquest and the discovery of gold. ![]() Vince and Louis’s teachings on this land reflect traditional economy that was once diverse and bustling across the entire San Francisco Bay Area. This is Coast Miwok territory, neighbors and trade partners to the Pomo, Wappo, and Ohlone. They have come to share with community as part of The Cultural Conservancy’s Fall Harvest Gathering at the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, nestled among the rolling coastal hills of Marin County, California. ![]() Our guides for the day are Vincent Medina (Muwekma Ohlone) and Louis Trevino (Rumsen Ohlone), two California Natives whose journey to revitalize Ohlone language was strengthened and solidified in the land. We are coming together to share in acorn teachings of Grandmother Oak. Her grove, the extensions of herself and her neighbors that make up this beautiful protective semi-circle of vibrant greens, is especially poignant for this day of gathering, as we are coming together to share in acorn teachings-the gifts of land, food, language, song, ceremony-all that have come from her. She is massive and very old, our Grandmother Oak, her many branches reach out in a towering dome that shades more than seventy people gathered under the protective embrace of her leafy limbs. Under the beautiful Grandmother Oak grove that sits here along the tributaries of the Ignacio Creek watershed, we have come to listen to stories, to gather as community, to learn from one another and share good food. ![]() The Grandmother Oak grove, Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, Novato, California.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |