Members of the youth-led Indigenous Justice Coalition are in DC this week fighting for federal recognition for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe.
The Muwekma Ohlone can trace their ancestry to all of the five Bay Area counties and beyond, including Santa Cruz and Napa Valley.
But in 1927, the Muwekma were one of 135 tribes dropped from federal recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Without recognition, tribes can’t access benefits like housing and medical care.
The Indigenous Justice Coalition, or IJC, are on their fifth day in the capital.
They told KALW lawmakers “often avoided clear answers, redirected us to staff, or gave vague support without follow-up.”
“By day’s end we knew the fight wasn’t over. Meetings with Congressmen in our home districts lay ahead.”
You can keep up with their efforts on Instagram, @indigenousjusticecoalition.
