Missions & Tribes: Including Native Perspectives in the Historical Record

Presented by the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association:

When Andrew A. Galvan (Ohlone, Bay Miwok, Plains Miwok and Patwin Indian) was named the curator of San Francisco’s famed Old Mission Dolores in 2004, he became the first American Indian to oversee a California Mission. At the time, he joked he wanted to hang a banner in front of the Mission that read “Under New Management.”

His challenges were many, including presenting a comprehensive, objective and critical interpretation of history—a telling that frequently misinterpreted or even ignored the contributions of his Ohlone descendants whose ancestral homes were located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Proudly, I will tell anyone who will listen, that the missions were built by Indians and for Indians. There is much that has been neglected in the telling of the history of the Mission Indians. Because of the Spanish invasion, the native world was overwhelmed. The environment was dramatically damaged with the introduction of foreign plants and animals. The flu and measles epidemics were very destructive. It was a time of survival and my ancestors came into the missions to survive,” said Galvan.

During this webinar, Andy will detail his personal journey and how he reconciled the history of the area tribes with the story previously being told by the California Missions. He will further share tips for other curators of Native American history—at both tribal and non-Native facilities, alike—on steps they can take to present a more complete version of history with the visiting public.

“(It) is comparatively easy to point out mistakes and simple to indicate errors. It is totally different and difficult to correct those mistakes and to supplant those errors with critical truth. Such is the task before all of us who study and write about the Alta California Franciscan Missions. It must be realized that such an accomplishment is necessarily slow, tedious and painstaking.”

To register visit – https://aianta.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sWSmN8nLSTe66sG_EXyHJg