Shellmound site in West Berkeley returned to Ohlone tribe in historic $27 million deal

From left, Carla Munoz, Desire Munoz and Brenda Munoz sing a song from their Ohlone Rumsen heritage as indigenous leaders and supporters from the community gather in a prayer circle at the shellmound site at 1900 Fourth Street in Berkeley, Calif., on Tuesday, March 20, 2018. Ohlone activists have been fighting against the development of an indigenous sacred site that has been a city landmark since 2000.

A parking lot at 1900 Fourth St. at University Avenue currently sits on what officials say is the last undeveloped portion of one of the first human settlements on the San Francisco Bay shore. Established more than 5,700 years ago, the site was once home to the Ohlone tribe before being taken over by Spanish conquistadors and American settlers.

“The City of Berkeley and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation joined together to right a historic wrong, resulting in the rematriation of our oldest Shellmound and Village site to its original people,” said Corrina Gould, tribal chair of the Lisjan Nation, in the press release. “This is not only the most challenging urban sacred site victory in California’s history, it’s also among the most culturally significant for the Lisjan people.

The city’s decision was initially upheld by the Alameda County Superior Court in October 2019 but reversed by the California Court of Appeal in April 2021. A bid to have the California Supreme Court consider the case was denied and state legislation prohibiting expedited reviews for projects on tribal cultural sites was not made retroactive, forcing the city to issue the firm zoning approval that October.

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