Makkin Mak Hemmen. Mak Holše Ohlone Hemmentak.

Makkin Mak Hemmen. Mak Holše Ohlone Hemmentak.

We are together. Our beautiful Ohlone Gathering.

By Vincent Medina

Sunday, October 4th was a truly terrific day; it was the day of the Ohlone Gathering! For those unfamiliar, the Gathering is annual festival that happens once a year, always on the first Sunday of October, for the last twenty-two years at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. Coyote Hills is a magical place full of tule marshes, salt ponds, ancient Ohlone village sites, and low-lying brown hills that jet directly into San Francisco Bay. Boardwalks bridge the tule ponds like sutures, except as a result of the current drought, the once-flowing water now leaves bone-dry cracked dirt in its place.

The Gathering is a day the Ohlone community comes together from different regions, languages, and families from our historically unique tribal communities. On this fun day we connect with each other and our similar experiences. We laugh, share stories, see old friends, and meet new friends who are being introduced into the Ohlone community. People from outside of the Ohlone community come, and we are able to educate them about our rich culture. There are numerous booths set up around a beautiful arbor made of sycamore and oak tree branches and leaves that discuss issues of culture, and our special connection to the land. The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe set up a booth to highlight the contemporary Tribe that exists that is rooted in a very ancient reality. Ohlone vendors sell beautiful abalone jewelry, Ohlone language activists discuss the reawakening of our beautiful languages.

On the lower level of Coyote Hills grounds was full of workshop booths to help teach those visiting about a variety of Ohlone skills; things like abalone jewelry making using a traditional pump drill, pine nut jewelry making, mini tule boat workshops, and acorn processing to name a few. Kids got a try at the hoop and pole game, and got to see how hard it is to get a point at this well-loved game in our community, that our people have played for generations. Indian tacos, one of our adopted favorite foods, quickly had a line wrapped around the festival grounds.

I’ve been participating in this event for years, but this was definitely the best I’ve seen it. There was immense unity, and genuine laughter and happiness with those that we love. I was grateful to participate in an Ohlone prayer, to the cardinal directions. During this prayer, we stood in solidarity and we translated the directions in our beautiful Chochenyo language, which is the oldest language of Coyote Hills. There was a touching moment of realization from many East Bay Ohlones to stand united based on our beautiful language, and I couldn’t be happier. My Tribe sang me a very wonderful birthday song in Chochenyo, and it was quickly followed by a delicious birthday cake made of acorn flour.

The Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe, a tribe of Rumsen Ohlones originally from the Carmel Valley, danced in beautiful regalia of rabbit fur capes, grass and deer skin aprons, abalone necklaces and basket caps. Though my family is not Rumsen, there was a very comforting feeling to watch my family interact with the Rumsen Ohlones. There was overlapping shared experiences of us being rooted in California, having survived the Missions, having had Spanish influence over our language, and still being deeply Ohlone.
I noticed our Ohlone identity is growing stronger, instead of becoming weaker. Observing the elders interact with the youngest people in our community, seeing our languages becoming stronger each year, hearing Ohlone gossip and laughter — all of this is indicative of a permanent, contemporary, community. All of this was highlighted at this years Ohlone Gathering.