Association of Ramaytush Ohlone

Association of Ramaytush Ohlone
Name	Association of Ramaytush Ohlone
Type	Nonprofit
Purpose	Cultural preservation, land stewardship, advocacy
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Region served	San Francisco Peninsula, California
Languages	Ramaytush language, English
Leader title	Chair

Association of Ramaytush Ohlone is a nonprofit tribal organization focused on cultural preservation, land stewardship, and advocacy for the Ramaytush-speaking communities of the San Francisco Peninsula. The association engages with municipal, state, and federal entities and networks with museums, universities, and indigenous coalitions to promote heritage, ecological restoration, and legal recognition. It participates in collaborative projects with regional and national institutions and interacts with descendant groups, cultural centers, and land trusts.

History

The association traces roots to local organizing linked to historical figures and events such as Spanish colonization of the Americas, Mission San Francisco de Asís, California Gold Rush, and later activism influenced by leaders in Native advocacy like those associated with National Congress of American Indians, American Indian Movement, and activists who worked with Bureau of Indian Affairs policies. Early formalization drew on relationships with institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State University, Stanford University, and museums including California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum, and Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Over time the association developed ties with legal advocates linked to cases influenced by precedents like Marshall Trilogy discussions, consultations echoing themes from Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, and collaborative archaeology with Society for American Archaeology and California Historical Society. Landmark local events that shaped its trajectory include municipal policy shifts in San Francisco Board of Supervisors deliberations, engagement during environmental initiatives related to Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and participation in commemorations alongside organizations such as National Park Service, California State Parks, and Presidio Trust.

Organization and Membership

The association's governance mirrors nonprofit structures common to groups that coordinate with entities like Internal Revenue Service, California Secretary of State, San Francisco Foundation, and tribal organizations registered with networks such as InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, and Muwekma Ohlone Tribe movements. Membership comprises descent-based families with connections to historic local rancherías, individuals engaged with programs at San Francisco Unified School District, activists who have worked with Earthjustice, and scholars affiliated with centers like Anthropological Linguistics departments at institutions including UCLA, Harvard University, and Yale University. Committees coordinate with cultural advisors drawn from elders who have collaborated with National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, and curators from Smithsonian Institution divisions.

Culture and Traditions

Cultural programming emphasizes revival of practices recorded in ethnographies by scholars associated with Alfred L. Kroeber, C. Hart Merriam, and collections curated at Bancroft Library and Library of Congress. The association supports language restoration efforts referencing resources similar to those produced by Language Conservancy and academic programs at University of California, Davis, University of Oregon, and Columbia University. Ceremonial work incorporates traditional songs, dances, and material culture connected to sites in San Bruno Mountain State Park, Mission Bay, Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, and seasonal harvests tied to species managed in collaboration with California Department of Fish and Wildlife and botanists from Jepson Herbarium. Cultural stewardship projects have engaged with indigenous arts initiatives that partner with American Indian Art Museum, MERIT School of Music, and local festivals organized alongside San Francisco Arts Commission.

Land, Claims, and Activism

The association engages in land stewardship and advocacy around restitution, access, and protection of sacred places including Lands End, Twin Peaks (San Francisco), Sweeney Ridge, and estuarine zones adjacent to San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Legal and political strategies reference frameworks like Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, consultations modeled on Executive Order 13007, and coordination with advocacy groups such as Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Trust for Public Land. Campaigns have included collaborations with municipal agencies like San Francisco Planning Department, conservation partners such as Golden Gate Audubon Society and Point Reyes National Seashore, and coalition advocacy alongside California Native Vote Project-aligned organizations.

Programs and Community Services

The association operates cultural education and youth mentorship programs in partnership with institutions such as San Francisco Unified School District, Bay Area Discovery Museum, and university outreach programs at San Francisco State University. Health and social services coordination has been undertaken with Indian Health Service, San Francisco Department of Public Health, and nonprofits like La Clinica de La Raza. Environmental stewardship programming involves habitat restoration collaborations with Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and volunteer networks coordinated through VolunteerMatch and regional conservancies like Coastal Conservancy.

Partnerships and Recognition

Partnerships span museums, academic centers, governmental agencies, and nonprofit funders including de Young Museum, California Academy of Sciences, Smithsonian Institution, University of California system, National Park Service, California State Parks, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Chronicle cultural coverage, and philanthropic support from entities like San Francisco Foundation and Annenberg Foundation. The association has received acknowledgments in collaborative exhibitions, consultations referenced by National Register of Historic Places nominations, and participatory roles in regional planning processes with Association of Bay Area Governments and heritage commissions including California Office of Historic Preservation.

Category:Indigenous organizations of California Category:Ohlone