Indigenous Peoples’ Day
October 9, 2023
“On this site, for numerous generations, the Ohlone peoples, and others who may have been here before them, women, men and children, worked and played, laughed and cried, argued and loved, sang and danced, and created sacred ceremonies in tribal communion with their animal, plant and spirit companions. The ancient native presence is here now… and we listen to the soft voices in the stillness in the silence… All our relations! Ho!”
– Anonymous Indigenous Community Member
Mount Madonna Center is built on Ohlone tribal lands. The hills and valleys we tend to and walk upon each day served as a gathering place for the Ohlone peoples for ten thousand years. Evidence of their daily lives, so deeply rooted in the ebb and flow of nature, continues to be found across the property. For example, directly adjacent to the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple rests an acorn grinding stone, its presence indicating the importance of this very hill as vital and central to the Ohlone community.
Witnessing the shifting and changing seasons, the glorious sunsets, and the many plants and animals that call these forests home is a privilege. We recognize and deeply appreciate that we are able to do so because of the original tending and stewardship of this land by the Ohlone people.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day serves as a reminder of the historical injustices and ongoing struggles Indigenous communities face: the dispossession of ancestral lands, the suppression of cultural practices, and systemic discrimination. While October 9th is a day to reflect on our individual and collective responsibility to support Indigenous efforts in preserving culture and achieving social justice, we must also commit, and re-commit, every day to honoring Mount Madonna and the peoples who cared for this land, through the ways in which we live, work, and tend to this sacred place.
On October 9, 2023, from 11:30 am – 1:00pm, Patrick Orozco, a descendant of Native people of this area, will lead our community in prayer, song, and storytelling. Patrick has devoted his life to researching his own lineage, and sharing indigenous history and traditions.
Mountain Experience participants are invited to join in the ceremonies and activities on this special day.
