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Here is our perspective on Ancient Native American Indian Sites on Public and Private Property in the San Francisco Bay Area. Because there are so few remaining, they all are special and important. Some of the Powers That Be (Archaeologists, Park and Water District Managers, Land Developers, Native Descendants) do not want the general public to have any real connection to or show any interest in prehistoric California village and camp sites. That could interfere with the plans of private property owners, developers, and managers of public agencies. They say what we are doing simply flies in the face of efforts to recognize tribes and engage with them and their protective culture of academic secrecy to protect these places from overuse, desecration, graffiti and more. To that end there has been a coordinated, calculated, clandestine effort to downplay and obscure public interest and involvement in the California Native American Indian story. It has worked! The vast majority of the General Public couldn’t care less about a few bedrock mortars scattered around here and there, and knows next to nothing about the 10,000 year old civilization and culture that preceded our conquest a mere 250 years ago. This lack of interest is an impediment to our contemporary societal growth and understanding of history and our place in it. When you sit on a mortar rock and look around, you can begin to understand and connect. Our recent discovery of an 11 mortar Jalquin Ohlone Indian village site in the Hayward hills is a fine example. Tucked into a little canyon, surrounded by private property, it is an ideal location to appreciate an important remnant village. This place is not like the “ghost towns” of the Wild West that might be 150 years old. It could be thousands of years old, continuously occupied. Virtually no one knows it is even there. These sites should be recognized, honored, respected, and protected. yours truly, James Benney james@jamesbenney.com Bob Bardell bbardell@comcast.net Richard DeGraffenreid richarddegraffenreid@comcast.net More Info: www.eastbayhillpeople.com |
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