Richmond’s celebration of Indigenous culture showcases dance and art, but lacks Ohlone representation

Local artist Julia LaChica guided the hands of eager kids at the Richmond Art Center on Saturday as they pulled a squeegee across a stencil: “LAND BACK, THIS LAND IS HUICHIN.” 

Huichin refers to the land of the Ohlone people, what is now commonly called the Bay Area. LaChica helped youth attendees peel paper away from the wooden screenprint frame to reveal the bold words on a take-home poster.

“In designing this, I was thinking about the land, the Indigenous people it belongs to, and what’s sacred to them,” said LaChica, who is Japanese and Filipino.

The printmaking station was part of Richmond Art Center’s annual Fall Family Day, which drew over 200 people and celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day for the first time. It’s an open-house style event with a focus on art-making across generations. Last year, the event centered on Día de Los Muertos.

“We’ve heard from Latinx and Indigenous community members in Richmond who want a space in October to honor their ancestors, making Family Day an opportunity to bring both communities together,” said Elaine Moreno-Jolly, the center’s education and visitor services manager.

Noticeably missing was the presence of Ohlone people, the land’s original stewards. 

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any connections with any Ohlone populations here, but that’s what we strive for in the future,” said Annaliese Ruano, Richmond Art Center’s youth programs manager. 

“We really hope to ingrain them more.”

For Native American families in the area, events like this are rare. Asked about Ohlone representation, several attendees noted the absence of local tribes at events in the Richmond area.

“I think it’s really important, because we are on Ohlone land, to see that there is still a connection there,” said Natasha Joseph, who is Oglala Lakota and brought her 8-year-old daughter to the event. “But I have not seen it.”

The Ohlone land was colonized in the late 1700s by the Spanish, who established nearby missions and fractured villages across what is now the Richmond shoreline.The present-day Muwekma Ohlone Tribe is composed of descendants who trace their ancestry through the missions Dolores, Santa Clara and San Jose, and who were members of the historic, federally recognized Verona Band of Alameda County.

Indigenous people first proposed the day at a 1977 United Nations conference. In 1989, South Dakota replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, and Berkeley became the first city to adopt it. President Joe Biden officially recognized Indigenous Peoples Day in 2021. 
It’s become a way for Indigenous communities to gather in solidarity with one another, protest, and educate about historical injustices facing tribes today.

According to the Pew Research Center, 17 states recognize it, while 30 states still call the second Monday in October Columbus Day.  Last week, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation declaring Monday to be Columbus Day.

While Richmond Art Center’s celebration didn’t include Ohlone artists, it did feature Indigenous art from other parts of North and Central America.

Spanning the west gallery was an installation of El Salvadoran and Pipil artist Luis Garcia. His exhibit, “Seeds of Tradition,” explores ancestral memory, weaving together imagery from the natural and spiritual worlds.

Danza Azteca Teokalli, a group dedicated to preserving Aztec dance that has been in the East Bay for more than 30 years, prides itself on being based in Richmond. Juanita Gordon, one of the lead dancers wearing colorful pink regalia, sounded the conch shell at the start of the event — a signal that the ceremonial dance was beginning.

Gordon, who is Chicana, Chickasaw and Yaqui, has been participating in “Danza Azteca,” or Aztec style traditional dancing, for over 30 years. She joined the Danza Azteca Teokalli group after Oakland-based group Danza Azteca Cuauhtonal went on hiatus last spring. She said when she first started, it felt like Mesoamerican cultures didn’t have a place in the Bay.  

“We were trying to fit in, trying to get in,” Gordon said. 

Now she finds Aztec dance groups are more common. When invited to events, Gordon said they try to incorporate land recognition and work in solidarity with local tribal communities.

“If a Native American drum is around, they’re always first, before us,” Gordon said. 

“That’s how we stay connected.”

(Top photo by Dinée Dorame)

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Art in autumn: Family Day, new exhibits, artist talks and workshops at Richmond Art Center