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The Sogorea Te Land Trust

The Sogorea Te Land Trust

An urban Indigenous women-led land trust that facilitates the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people

  • About
    • Purpose and Vision
    • Our History
    • Partnerships & Alliances
    • Staff & Board
    • Contact Us
  • Projects
    • Caring for the Land
      • Lisjan
      • Rammay
      • Gill Tract
      • ‘Ookwe
    • Cultural Revitalization
    • Himmetka: In One Place, Together
    • Public Education
    • Indigenous Led Youth Program!
  • Lisjan (Ohlone)
    • Lisjan History & Territory
    • Mak Noono Tiirinikma
  • Media
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    • Request a Speaker
    • The Land
      • Rematriate the Land Fund
      • Return Land / Land Return
      • Land Acknowledgements
    • Resource Library
    • How to Come Correct
    • Other Ways to Engage
  • Pay Shuumi
    • Shuumi Land Tax
    • Institutional Shuumi Land Tax
    • Shuumi Land Tax FAQs
    • Testimonials

Purpose and Vision

Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is an urban Indigenous women-led land trust based in the San Francisco Bay Area that facilitates the return of Indigenous land to Indigenous people.

Through the practices of rematriation, cultural revitalization, and land restoration, Sogorea Te’ calls on Native and non-native peoples to heal and transform the legacies of colonization, genocide, and patriarchy and to do the work our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do. 

Rematriate: to restore a people to their rightful place in sacred relationship with their ancestral land.

“The loss of land plays out in our every day lives and it shapes how we look at things and how we feel about ourselves. We’ve spent 15 years in the Bay Area doing community organizing in the Indian community. And honestly, all the issues we’re struggling with come down to land. You know, the land was taken and that was such a deep soul wound. The taking of the land, the heart of the people, was the cause of a lot of problems. And I believe that with the land trust, and you know, the land itself, I think that’s really going to help us to find our way back.”

Johnella LaRose, Co-Founder/Director of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust

We envision a Bay Area in which Ohlone language and ceremony are an active, thriving part of the cultural landscape, where Ohlone place names and history is known and recognized and where intertribal Indigneous communities have affordable housing, social services, cultural centers and land to live, work and pray on.

Sogorea Te’ is centered in Huchuin, the ancestral homeland of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, now known as the East Bay.

Ohlone Led and Intertribal

The Bay Area is also home to a diverse diaspora of Indigenous people who, over the years, either moved by choice to the Bay Area or were pushed off their traditional lands during the era of the US Government’s Indian Termination (forced assimilation) policies, such as the Indian Relocation Act of 1956. While Ohlone women are central to our vision and leadership, the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is an intertribal and multicultural Indigenous women-led land trust. We work to restore reciprocal relationships with the sacred land we live on, and with the plants, animals and other human beings who we share this land with. Sogorea Te’ creates opportunities for all people living in Lisjan territory to work together in re-envision the Bay Area community and what it means to live on Ohlone land.

“There are many Indigenous people in the San Francisco Bay Area, and there are many important places in dire need of protection. The land trust and accompanying tool of the conservation (or cultural) easement are mechanisms that Indigenous groups can use to protect, access, restore, and reclaim lands.”

Beth Rose Middleton Manning, Sogorea Te’ Board Member

“As we reclaim our land in this urban area, it’s important to understand that we are doing that work as Indigenous people from many tribes, working together to create healing on this land.”

Corrina Gould, Co-Founder/Director of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust

Bringing the ancestors home

“The remains of over 15,000 of our ancestors are locked up at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University, along with countless artifacts. The ancestors were violently taken out of the land because of development. That’s one of the main things this land trust is about: getting those ancestors returned to us and put back into the ground so that we can all heal.

Shellmounds are sacred funerary monuments, burial grounds, for Ohlone people. At one time, 425 shellmounds surrounded the entire San Francisco Bay. Every one of them has been destroyed by development. My goal is that one day, we can re-create a shellmound so there is a place for us to actually bring those ancestors home and re-inter them. With everybody helping out, it can happen.”

Corrina Gould, Co-Founder/Director of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust

“We believe that these ancestors are taking care of us, and we’re going to become ancestors ourselves. If we don’t take care of these ancestors, we’re not going to get those messages, and those teachings that we need to move on in this life. So we have to do a good job of keeping them safe in their burial sites.”

Johnella LaRose, Co-Founder/Director of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
Indigenous Women Leadership

Sogorea Te’ Land Trust is founded by and led by Indigenous women.

“Right now I really feel like the land is calling women back…to take care of the land. I really feel like that’s where we’re are at this time in history.”

Johnella LaRose, Co-Founder/Director of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust

“We have this opportunity to create an urban Native land trust that is women led: to bring in all our relations in a new kind of community that is so desperately needed in the world today.”

Melissa K. Nelson, Board Member of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust

“My ancestors have always been here. That’s my blessing, my grandchildren’s blessing, that they were born on the land that their ancestors have always been on. And maybe my great-grandchildren will be born here, too. Our umbilical cords are buried in this land. Our ancestors’ DNA is in this land. And we continue to stand our ground.”

Corrina Gould, Co-Founder/Director of Sogorea Te’ Land Trust

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Our work of rematriation, returning Indigenous land to Indigenous people, is only possible with your support.

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The Shuumi Land Tax is a voluntary annual contribution that non-Indigenous people living on traditional Lisjan Ohlone territory make to support the critical work of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.

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Sogorea Te Land Trust
✨Rematriated ✨

These Abalone shells were returned by a student group who had collected them at a community garden over many years.  When they started learning more about the Indigenous people whose land they are on and the history of the territory they decided to return more than 30 shells to @villages_of_lisjan through Sogorea Te’. 

Abalone used to exist in abundance and were integral to many different Indigenous Lifeways.  Now they are nearly gone.  Returns like these bring them back into relation with their relatives and lift our spirits. ❤️

To rematriate any stolen, plundered, or otherwise misappropriated cultural items,  artifacts, inheritances, trustfunds, houses, or land hit us up. 

#rematriate #reflect #reciprocate #return #abaloneshells #sogoreatelandtrust #urbanindigenous #womenled #landtrust
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✨Rematriated ✨ These Abalone shells were returned by a student group who had collected them at a community garden over many years. When they started learning more about the Indigenous people whose land they are on and the history of the territory they decided to return more than 30 shells to @villages_of_lisjan through Sogorea Te’. Abalone used to exist in abundance and were integral to many different Indigenous Lifeways. Now they are nearly gone. Returns like these bring them back into relation with their relatives and lift our spirits. ❤️ To rematriate any stolen, plundered, or otherwise misappropriated cultural items, artifacts, inheritances, trustfunds, houses, or land hit us up. #rematriate #reflect #reciprocate #return #abaloneshells #sogoreatelandtrust #urbanindigenous #womenled #landtrust
17 hours ago
View on Instagram |
1/9
Tule time 🌾

STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨

#tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
Tule time 🌾

STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨

#tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
Tule time 🌾

STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨

#tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
Tule time 🌾

STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨

#tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
Tule time 🌾

STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨

#tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
Tule time 🌾

STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨

#tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
Tule time 🌾

STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨

#tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
Tule time 🌾

STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨

#tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
sogoreatelandtrust
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Tule time 🌾 STLT crew gathering and bundling tule with the “Tule Lady,” traditional knowledge keeper Diana Almendariz, next step - a boat! ✨ #tuletime #traditionalgathering #culturalrevitalization #nativeland #cultivatingtradition #landback #rematriatetheland
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
Indigenous people are still here. 

Include and center Indigenous voices in curricula.

Learn about your local Sacred Site struggle.

Learn about your local Indigenous led environmental struggle.

Change the names of parks, school, and other monuments to colonial violence and harm. 

Take Action! Support your local Indigenous led land work today!

Hot tips from your favorite Indigenous women led land trust.  Feel free to share!  Check out our Rematriation Resource Guide to learn more. 


#gobeyondacknowledgement #SupportIndigenousLed #sogoreatelandtrust #stillhere #urbanindigenous #womenled #landreturn #landback #rematriation #resources
Indigenous people are still here. 

Include and center Indigenous voices in curricula.

Learn about your local Sacred Site struggle.

Learn about your local Indigenous led environmental struggle.

Change the names of parks, school, and other monuments to colonial violence and harm. 

Take Action! Support your local Indigenous led land work today!

Hot tips from your favorite Indigenous women led land trust.  Feel free to share!  Check out our Rematriation Resource Guide to learn more. 


#gobeyondacknowledgement #SupportIndigenousLed #sogoreatelandtrust #stillhere #urbanindigenous #womenled #landreturn #landback #rematriation #resources
Indigenous people are still here. 

Include and center Indigenous voices in curricula.

Learn about your local Sacred Site struggle.

Learn about your local Indigenous led environmental struggle.

Change the names of parks, school, and other monuments to colonial violence and harm. 

Take Action! Support your local Indigenous led land work today!

Hot tips from your favorite Indigenous women led land trust.  Feel free to share!  Check out our Rematriation Resource Guide to learn more. 


#gobeyondacknowledgement #SupportIndigenousLed #sogoreatelandtrust #stillhere #urbanindigenous #womenled #landreturn #landback #rematriation #resources
Indigenous people are still here. 

Include and center Indigenous voices in curricula.

Learn about your local Sacred Site struggle.

Learn about your local Indigenous led environmental struggle.

Change the names of parks, school, and other monuments to colonial violence and harm. 

Take Action! Support your local Indigenous led land work today!

Hot tips from your favorite Indigenous women led land trust.  Feel free to share!  Check out our Rematriation Resource Guide to learn more. 


#gobeyondacknowledgement #SupportIndigenousLed #sogoreatelandtrust #stillhere #urbanindigenous #womenled #landreturn #landback #rematriation #resources
Indigenous people are still here. 

Include and center Indigenous voices in curricula.

Learn about your local Sacred Site struggle.

Learn about your local Indigenous led environmental struggle.

Change the names of parks, school, and other monuments to colonial violence and harm. 

Take Action! Support your local Indigenous led land work today!

Hot tips from your favorite Indigenous women led land trust.  Feel free to share!  Check out our Rematriation Resource Guide to learn more. 


#gobeyondacknowledgement #SupportIndigenousLed #sogoreatelandtrust #stillhere #urbanindigenous #womenled #landreturn #landback #rematriation #resources
Indigenous people are still here. 

Include and center Indigenous voices in curricula.

Learn about your local Sacred Site struggle.

Learn about your local Indigenous led environmental struggle.

Change the names of parks, school, and other monuments to colonial violence and harm. 

Take Action! Support your local Indigenous led land work today!

Hot tips from your favorite Indigenous women led land trust.  Feel free to share!  Check out our Rematriation Resource Guide to learn more. 


#gobeyondacknowledgement #SupportIndigenousLed #sogoreatelandtrust #stillhere #urbanindigenous #womenled #landreturn #landback #rematriation #resources
sogoreatelandtrust
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•
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Indigenous people are still here. Include and center Indigenous voices in curricula. Learn about your local Sacred Site struggle. Learn about your local Indigenous led environmental struggle. Change the names of parks, school, and other monuments to colonial violence and harm. Take Action! Support your local Indigenous led land work today! Hot tips from your favorite Indigenous women led land trust. Feel free to share! Check out our Rematriation Resource Guide to learn more. #gobeyondacknowledgement #SupportIndigenousLed #sogoreatelandtrust #stillhere #urbanindigenous #womenled #landreturn #landback #rematriation #resources
7 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
“As we raise up our dreams we carry in our hearts the struggles of our Indigenous relatives around the world.“ 

Our co-founder Johnella LaRose collecting flowers for Jakeline Caal, a 7 year old Q’eqchi /Mayan relative whose life was lost in immigration custody while we building the arbor at Lisjan in 2018. 

#jakeline #sayhername #honoringourancestors #lisjan #justiceforindigenouspeople #sogoreatelandtrust #rematriatetheland
sogoreatelandtrust
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“As we raise up our dreams we carry in our hearts the struggles of our Indigenous relatives around the world.“ Our co-founder Johnella LaRose collecting flowers for Jakeline Caal, a 7 year old Q’eqchi /Mayan relative whose life was lost in immigration custody while we building the arbor at Lisjan in 2018. #jakeline #sayhername #honoringourancestors #lisjan #justiceforindigenouspeople #sogoreatelandtrust #rematriatetheland
1 week ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
Amaranth 💜 Huauhtli 

#amaranthus #bushgreen #loveliesbleeding #yinchoi #pigweed #amaranth ##huauhtli #ally #relative
sogoreatelandtrust
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Amaranth 💜 Huauhtli #amaranthus #bushgreen #loveliesbleeding #yinchoi #pigweed #amaranth ##huauhtli #ally #relative
1 week ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
Garden Party 🎉 

The crew looking cute at a recent meeting at Rammay. 

📷 @fulltimebrownkid 

#rammay #urbangarden #urbanindigenous #womenled #landtrust #community # upturned #rematriation
sogoreatelandtrust
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Garden Party 🎉 The crew looking cute at a recent meeting at Rammay. 📷 @fulltimebrownkid #rammay #urbangarden #urbanindigenous #womenled #landtrust #community # upturned #rematriation
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
❤️ Rematriate the Land ❤️
 
In honor of all of our mamas, in appreciation of matriarchs everywhere, and with wild hope for an Indigenous women led future returning us all to greater balance on this earth, we are delighted to reveal our gorgeous new Rematriate the Land art by the one and only Jackie Fawn. 
 
For us Rematriation is about the return of Indigenous land and lifeways and mothers are essential to our work.  We are founded by Indigenous moms. Indigenous moms are on the land and in the lead everyday. We knew we wanted to wanted to work with a Native mom for this collaboration and are so delighted with this beautiful offering.  Thank you @jackiefawn and @fishbearstudios.  And thank you to all our mamas, most especially Mother Earth. 🌎
 
Rematriate the Land!  And do something nice for a mom this weekend!

(These posters will be popping up at upcoming Bay Area Indigenous events,  watch our stories to snag one) 
 
 
 
#happymothersday  #matriarchylives  #Rematriatetheland #nativeland #indigenousland #stolenland  #sogoreatelandtrust #jackiefawn  #nativeart #indigenousart #indigenouswomenled #landtrust #landreturn #returntoland
sogoreatelandtrust
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❤️ Rematriate the Land ❤️ In honor of all of our mamas, in appreciation of matriarchs everywhere, and with wild hope for an Indigenous women led future returning us all to greater balance on this earth, we are delighted to reveal our gorgeous new Rematriate the Land art by the one and only Jackie Fawn. For us Rematriation is about the return of Indigenous land and lifeways and mothers are essential to our work. We are founded by Indigenous moms. Indigenous moms are on the land and in the lead everyday. We knew we wanted to wanted to work with a Native mom for this collaboration and are so delighted with this beautiful offering. Thank you @jackiefawn and @fishbearstudios. And thank you to all our mamas, most especially Mother Earth. 🌎 Rematriate the Land! And do something nice for a mom this weekend! (These posters will be popping up at upcoming Bay Area Indigenous events, watch our stories to snag one) #happymothersday #matriarchylives #Rematriatetheland #nativeland #indigenousland #stolenland #sogoreatelandtrust #jackiefawn #nativeart #indigenousart #indigenouswomenled #landtrust #landreturn #returntoland
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
The Sogorea Te’s Land Team would like to invite you to come work with us this summer! We are looking for 4 fellows to participate in a knowledge share from June 6th-August 15th, with a commitment to 20hours a week. We would love to share with you and have you share with us! Let’s heal and reindigenize the land together!
#reindiginize #rematriatetheland
The Sogorea Te’s Land Team would like to invite you to come work with us this summer! We are looking for 4 fellows to participate in a knowledge share from June 6th-August 15th, with a commitment to 20hours a week. We would love to share with you and have you share with us! Let’s heal and reindigenize the land together!
#reindiginize #rematriatetheland
The Sogorea Te’s Land Team would like to invite you to come work with us this summer! We are looking for 4 fellows to participate in a knowledge share from June 6th-August 15th, with a commitment to 20hours a week. We would love to share with you and have you share with us! Let’s heal and reindigenize the land together!
#reindiginize #rematriatetheland
sogoreatelandtrust
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•
Follow
The Sogorea Te’s Land Team would like to invite you to come work with us this summer! We are looking for 4 fellows to participate in a knowledge share from June 6th-August 15th, with a commitment to 20hours a week. We would love to share with you and have you share with us! Let’s heal and reindigenize the land together! #reindiginize #rematriatetheland
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
Rematriate Seeds. 

“When I look at the seeds we’ve grown for three generations, I see seeds that come with stories and lineages resting in my hands. We take care of these seeds and plants, like grandparents, and in return these Rematriated seeds connect us together "

Victoria Montano In Conversation With Bernadette Zambrano on seed lineages. 

Ya Nuunukne Spring Newsletter 

Art by @creative_mudafukah 

#rematraiteseeds #rematriateknowledge #rematriatetheland #seedsaving #seedlineages #sogoreatelandtrust #YaNuunukne #theytellastory
sogoreatelandtrust
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Rematriate Seeds. “When I look at the seeds we’ve grown for three generations, I see seeds that come with stories and lineages resting in my hands. We take care of these seeds and plants, like grandparents, and in return these Rematriated seeds connect us together " Victoria Montano In Conversation With Bernadette Zambrano on seed lineages. Ya Nuunukne Spring Newsletter Art by @creative_mudafukah #rematraiteseeds #rematriateknowledge #rematriatetheland #seedsaving #seedlineages #sogoreatelandtrust #YaNuunukne #theytellastory
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
9/9

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