UC Riverside and the Riverside Metropolitan Museum to present “Unratified”
UC Riverside and the Riverside Metropolitan Museum to present “Unratified”
Written by Terria Smith
Scholars, tribal leaders, and community members are set to present Saturday, January 23 about the history of 18 California tribal treaties that were signed by three federal commissioners between 1851 and 1852 and never ratified.
Clifford Trafzer, UC Riverside Distinguished Professor of History and Rupert Costo Chair, helped coordinate the event “Unratified: A Symposium on the Eighteen Treaties Between California Indians and the United States, 1851-1852.” He said that the impact of these treaties being unratified was significant. The intentional lack of action served as an opening for settlers, county magistrates, sheriffs, etc. to drive Native people from their homes as well as take away their land and resources, Trafzer said.
UC Berkeley doctoral candidate Olivia Chilcote (Luiseno) said she was asked to be a part of the symposium because of her research on unrecognized tribes in California.
“My tribe, the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians, is not currently a recognized tribe in the eyes of the federal government, yet we were one of the signatories on the 1852 Treaty of Temecula,” Chilcote said. “There are other unrecognized tribes across the state who also had signatories on one of the 18 unratified treaties. If the government saw our tribes as sovereign nations with the ability to have a treaty relationship at one time, then why are we unrecognized today? My presentation will address this question, and I will use my tribe’s experience as an example.”
Other speakers set to be included are Edward Castillo (Cahuilla/Luiseno) Professor Emeritus of Native American Studies, Sonoma State University, Sean Milanovich (Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians) Associate Curator of Anthropology, Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Doctoral Student, UC Riverside, Larry Banegas (Barona Band of Mission Indians) President, Kumeyaay.com, Myra Masiel-Zamora (Pechanga Band of Mission Indians) Assistant Curator, Pechanga Cultural Resources, Jack Norton (Hupa/Cherokee) Professor Emeritus of Native American Studies, Humboldt State University, and Willie Pink (Pala Band of Mission Indians).
Chilcote said that some of the other ramifications to the absence of treaties in California have contributed to a lack of knowledge about regional tribes in the general public.
“The treaties could have been an originary moment for a government-to-government relationship with the U.S., but instead the lack of ratification has made the recognition of tribal sovereignty a lot more tenuous than it should be for California tribes.” Chilcote said. “As a Native American Studies scholar, I also think the way people learn about Native Americans and Native American/U.S. history is largely premised on treaty rights. Since California has no treaties, the Native Californian experience is often ignored in classrooms and in broader conversations regarding Native American rights in the U.S.”
Nevertheless, those who are familiar with this piece of history can also learn more by attending the symposium.
“Native Californians know about the treaties in one way or another, but I hope my fellow California Indians will leave knowing a little bit more about why the treaties are an important part of our history, and how they set us apart from many other tribes in the contiguous U.S.” she said. “There are tribes with unratified treaties in other states as well, so I think learning about the treaties in California can open the door for more dialogue between tribes with similar experiences. I also hope attendees will leave knowing they have heard from some of the most influential voices on California Indians like Ed Castillo and Jack Norton.”
Event Details:
Free Admission
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, January 23, 2016
Second Floor Auditorium, Riverside Main Library
3581 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, California
For more information call (951) 826-5273 or visit http://riversideca.gov/calendar/item.aspx?id=10977
