Land Returned to Women-Led Indigenous Organization ¶
By: Lennon.Longmuir on Sept. 22, 2022, 10:25 p.m.
There still exists a mindset where it is believed that Europeans were the first to discover America and settle on the land, but that is not true. Indigenous tribes occupied the land way before it was discovered and taken over by the Europeans. However, the city Oakland, California is taking a step in the right direction in mending the relationship with the Indigenous people by returning 5 acres of land. The land is being returned to the Indigenous women-led organization called Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. They will use the land to educate the public and allow for natural restoration to occur.
This is an act that is way overdue. The indigenous people were stripped of their land and identity and forced to conform to European ways. Thomas King’s book “The Truth About Stories” really highlighted the horrific way in which the Indigenous people were treated and serves a reminder of what was taken from them. He talks about how the Europeans came over believing that the land was theirs to claim and completely disregarded the Indigenous people who were living there first. We owe Indigenous people much more than the 5 acres of land being returned, but it is a good place to start. Hopefully this is just the beginning and more reparations like this will occur. As we continue to offer our deepest apologies and mend the relationship that was destroyed.
Work Cited
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/12/oakland-return-indigenous-land/8063119001/
https://www.oaklandca.gov/news/2022/sogorea-te-land-trust-and-city-of-oakland-announce-plan-to-return-land-to-indigenous-stewardship