Thangs Taken honors Indigenous Resistance from Huichin to Palestine
By shaylyn martos
The 18th annual Thanks Taken event at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley honored centuries of Indigenous resistance to colonization across the world, from Huichin to Hawaii and Palestine.
Organized by the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, this year’s Thangs Taken also marked 10 years of the Shuumi Land Tax. Operated by Sogorea Te’, residents of the Bay Area are encouraged to give a voluntary annual contribution for living on Ohlone land. Funds go towards programming and rematriating land in the Bay Area.
Sogorea Te’ organizer Vick Montaño (Yoe’me/Mexikah) was the MC for the evening. Being born and raised in Huichin, or Oakland, is a source of pride for Montaño. “I am in service to this land,” they said. This was their first time leading the event, which they aimed to make “extra queer” this year.
Jewelle Gomez (Cabo Verdean/Wampanoag/Ioway) read two poems from her collection Stillwater published in 2022. Self-described as the “resident speculative fiction author,” Gomez is a deeply important figure within vampire literature and Indigiqueer poetry. Her pieces “Searching for a Name” and “More than One” addressed childhood feelings of isolation from her complex intersections of identity.
Drag artist Piss E. Sissy (Māhū) honored the medium as a vehicle to express their Indigeneity. “Drag is a way to story tell and talk story,” he said. After a multilingual lipsynch featuring silk fan work, Piss E. Sissy took the mic to pay respect to original ballroom spaces created and maintained by Black queer and trans women.
Thangs Taken first timer Betty Trujillo (Navajo) multitasked during the program, beading as she watched. “This is way better than a history class in school,” Trujillo said. “Because they see it, they feel it, and we as the audience understand it.”
Mentioned several times throughout the night, Sogorea Te’ launched their “Let the Land Breathe” campaign on Indigenous People’s Day. They hope to raise $1 million by the end of the year to remove the asphalt that covers the West Berkeley Shellmound. The team says future plans include planting a field of wildflowers and native plants, and one day building an Ohlone Cultural Center.
Thangs Taken also featured organizations and artists tabling in the La Peña community room. Organizers from Sogorea Te’ and Indigenous Justice helped attendees learn more about their operations. Palestinian artist Nida Liftawiya sold polymer clay pins and earrings; and headliner for the night, music artist Chhoti Maa, brought merch for purchase.
Organizers from the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) brought literature and merch to support the Oakland People’s Arms Embargo, blocking the Oakland International Airport from shipping military cargo to Israel. PYM also collaborated with Sogorea Te’ to produce the Sumud mural, meaning “steadfastness” in Arabic. The mural connects the two Indigenous lands with oak trees, poppies and an inscription in Arabic: “From Lisjan to Palestine, Resistance Until Victory”
Ashley Crystal Rojas, Policy Director for Indigenous Justice, shared updates on the organization’s efforts protecting people, land and water. Following the passing of AB 1071, or the California Racial Justice Act (RJA), the team supports cases attempting to prove implicit bias. “Any of our relatives have the right to revisit those convictions,” Rojas said.
One of the people supported by Indigenous Justice is Douglas “Chief” Stankewitz (Monache/Cherokee), who is the longest serving person on death row in California, and whose team is hoping for resentencing following RJA. The organization also provides support to Leonard Peltier, who was granted clemency by President Biden right before he left office.
Yuki Resistance singers Edwina Lincoln, her son Neesh-Kin Redhawk and grandson Malachi McCloud travelled from Round Valley to Berkeley to share their songs at Thangs Taken. The trio sang a “women’s song” to honor the matriarchs of Indigenous resistance. A proud grandma, Lincoln shared that her grandson is learning to sing traditionally and make jewelry out of abalone.
The night ended with headliner Chhoti Maa and the Indigo Ensemble, which blends rap, R&B, neofolk with cumbia and other influences. The band encouraged attendees to get out of their seats, and a night of education and healing quickly turned into a cross-genre dance party. Their cover of “Blow the Whistle” was particularly a hit, with the crowd joining in chanting “No queremos policía o ICE” (“We don’t want police or ICE”).
For MC Vick Montaño, finding joy in community is important during a time of collective grief. They encouraged folks who learn more about Indigenous history to continue passing on the information, especially during this federal holiday. “Go question your family,” they said. “Go back home and wonder, what is your relationship to land?”
shaylyn martos is a California Local News Fellow with the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
