Spiritual Encampment Compared to 1973 Wounded Knee Siege

Sogorea Te Sacred Site Protest Day 72

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

VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA - Today is the 72nd day of occupation by a group of protesters at the Sogorea Te sacred burial site, commonly known as Glen Cove. The protesters from the San Francisco Bay Area have been there since April 14.

The Drum has been Beating for 72 Days

“You know we have been here as long as the takeover at Wounded Knee lasted,”

said one of the organizers, Norman "Wounded Knee" DeOcampo said late Thursday evening. "They were there for 71 days. We are now at that point."

Wounded Knee was referencing the 71-day siege of Wounded Knee, South Dakota in 1973 when the American Indian Movement, led by Dennis Banks and Russell Means, took over the small hamlet on the Oglala Indian Reservation.

Protesters have been on-site continuously since April with a sacred fire to oppose the Greater Vallejo Recreation District’s plan to spend $1.5 million on the proposed park that, if constructed, will have 15 parking spaces and two toilets at the Sogorea Te sacred burial site, which is 25 miles from San Francisco. Protesters call their protest a spiritual encampment.

Sogorea Te was an Ohlone village that dates back 3,500 years. American Indians from various tribes from throughout the United States gather there for ceremonies at various times throughout the year.

Late Friday night, the following document was released:

The following Open Letter is from the Committee to Protect Glen Cove, addressing recent misunderstandings and statements released by Cortina and Yocha Dehe:

The Committee to Protect Glen Cove would like to lend our support to the cultural easement proposal set forth by the Cortina and Yocha Dehe tribes.

After twelve years of dedicated struggle towards preventing the desecration of this 15-acres of sacred land, the local Native peoples involved applaud the decision by these two tribes to step up and join in its preservation.

We want to dispel several misunderstandings that have been circulated. First, this is not an inter-tribal conflict. We wish to work together as California Native peoples to do what is necessary to protect this sacred site - in this case, by supporting the cultural easement that the two federally recognized tribes have chosen to pursue.

Without our presence here for the last 71 days, Sogorea Te/Glen Cove would already have been desecrated and the resting place of many ancestors irrevocably disturbed. Our presence at the site has always involved the utmost respect and stewardship of the land. We have collected over 500 lbs of trash and painted over graffiti, and have always relieved ourselves in off-site restrooms, whether at the nearby public park, local businesses, or the porta-potties located on the street.

As we have since the start of our spiritual vigil, we again wish to clarify that our sole intention has been the protection of the land from any form of development, including the restrooms, parking lot, and grading proposed by Greater Vallejo Recreation District (GVRD). It is GVRD, rather than ourselves, who have released maps alluding to the placement of burials and artifacts, as seen in their Master Plan. We are well-aware that this knowledge is strictly guarded to protect the ancestors.

As we join together with our brothers and sisters in this struggle, we wish to reiterate that we will not rest until a cultural/conservation easement is signed that allows the ancestors of all tribes who had utilized the site to be protected forever from further disturbance.

The Committee encourages interested parties to write letter supporting their position to the following:

Osby Davis, Mayor, City of Vallejo
555 Santa Clara Street - Vallejo, CA 94590
mayor@ci.vallejo.ca.us

Or

Shane McAffee, General Manager
Greater Vallejo Recreation District
395 Amador Street - Vallejo, CA 94590
smcaffee@gvrd.org

posted June 25, 2011 6:00 am et