Morning Star Gali: Berkeley City Council failed to halt massacre of sacred Oak Grove

By Morning Star Gali:
Dear Berkeley City Council Members,
I applaud you for unanimously passing the Berkeley No-Border Wall Resolution at the beginning of this year and for hosting the Lipan and Chiricahua Apache representatives with a reception to speak on demilitarization on Thursday August 28th.
However, I find it disturbingly shameful that although you take the stand of supporting the demilitarization of borders along the US-Mexico imposed boundaries and supporting the Indigenous People's of that territory-- you have failed to come out in public support or recognition of the local Indigenous struggles within your own city and community.
Last month I attended a Berkeley City Council hearing pleading for you to act on filing the appeal against UC Berkeley in support of the Memorial Oak Grove with its militarized border fences that are commonly referred to as Guantanamo Berkeley.
With your inaction you failed to support the demilitarization of the Memorial Oak Grove, which is regarded as a sacred place and documented by UC Berkeley's own Anthropology Department of which it disclosed evidence of 2 shell mounds sites with 18 ancestral remains found within them.
Along with UC Berkeley's attempt to develop on a sacred place, they are guilty of housing over 17,000 sacred remains and objects. UCB currently holds the largest human remains collection in the United States of which it is not in compliance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. UC Berkeley is guilty of classifying approximately 7,000 human remains as culturally unidentifiable and has been negligent to notify and consult with tribes. The University of California has created self imposed borders that deny Indigenous Peoples consultation with tribal leaders and representatives.
I am a member of the National Native American NAGPRA coalition which has publicly stated that although they are culturally unidentifiable to UC Berkeley, this does not mean that they are culturally unidentifiable to us. We know that they are our ancestors and we have a duty to bring them home.
As city council members, the land that you help to govern is occupied Ohlone territory. The sacred places, remains, and objects of the Ohlone people are guaranteed no protection within the city of Berkeley as Ohlone people are not a federally recognized nation. From the Mission to the Gold Rush Era over 98% of California Indian people were brutally exterminated in the name of gold and greed. Although our numbers are low, we are actively fighting to protect our land and our way of life.
UC Berkeley has continued the genocidal practices that were perfected across turtle island from east to west and continues to be a major obstacle in the healing of our nations by holding our sacred objects and remains hostage.
City Council Members, You have failed to condemn UC Berkeley in its continued disregard and disrespect of Native Peoples and federal law. There has been a failure to support the sacred area of the Oak Grove, support the return of the 19,000 remains and publicly object to the illegal reorganization of NAGPRA. As these are all connected, they are a continued violation of our human rights as Indigenous Peoples.
Yesterday, we were not even allowed to hold a peaceful prayer gathering and put tobacco offerings down onto the earth in front of the grove. Although the UC Chief of Police was directly informed of the gathering and the intention to put prayers down, the UC Police responded by violently arresting one person and pushing and shoving me while I was holding my two month old son. While I was trying to put offerings down on the ground, they violently attempted to put their hands on him and threatened to pull him out of my arms.
I ask you, where is the support of the city council of the struggles of the local Indigenous peoples of this territory? Respectfully,
Morning Star Gali Citizen of the Achumawi band of the Pit River NationCo-Chair, Advocates to Protect Sacred Sites-- Morning Star Gali
www.ifhurbanrez.org