$200,000 for Glen Cove Suspended Pending Sogorea Te Outcome

Sogorea Te Sacred Site Protest Day 56

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Native Challenges. Discussion »

VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA - In what can be hailed a small victory for the group of American Indians from the San Francisco Bay Area, it was announced today that $200,000 of funding to the Greater Vallejo Recreation District has been suspended by the San Francisco Bay Trail Project of the Association of Bay Area Governments.

Funding Suspended for Bay Trail Segment on the Glen Cove property

The group has been at Sogorea Te since April 14 when it stopped the bulldozers from coming in and beginning construction on the installation of two toilets and a parking lot by the Greater Vallejo Recreation District.

The $200,000 was part of the $1.5 million project.

The statement says that the grant is being suspended until cultural land use issues are resolved.

"We are pleased that the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Bay Trail Project have listened to the voices of the Indigenous people and supporters and have made the decision to reconsider funding of the joint project that they had planned with GVRD at Glen Cove/Sogorea Te. We would like to thank them for their support in the protection of our sacred site," said Corrina Gould, an Ohlone tribal member and leader of the ongoing efforts to protect the Glen Cove sacred site.

"We hope this loss of major funding for GVRD will encourage all the parties involved in this issue to sit down and reach a mutually acceptable solution that protects the burial and cremation sites from destruction," she continued.

Bay Trail's decision to suspend funding of the Glen Cove Project follows mounting pressure from their constituents to address their involvement in the controversial plans to develop a recreational park on a sacred burial ground and spiritually important area. Supporters of the effort to protect the sacred site picketed the offices of Bay Trail on Tuesday May 31st, challenged their role in the planned development and urged them to immediately divest all funding.

Sacred Sites Protection & Rights of Indigenous Tribes and the Protect Glen Cove Committee has vowed to continue the spiritual ceremony at Glen Cove until an agreement is reached that will protect the sacred site and human remains.

The historical and cultural value of the site has never been disputed and it continues to be spiritually important to California Indian tribes. Human remains have been consistently unearthed over the years as the area around the site has been developed.

The Glen Cove Shell Mound spans fifteen acres along the Carquinez Strait. It is the final resting place of many Indigenous People dating back more than 3,500 years.

Glen Cove is located near the intersection of South Regatta and Whitesides Drive in Vallejo.

posted June 9, 2011 6:11 am et