MEDIA ADVISORY
Honoring Coast Miwok (Tamal-ko) Continuance and Stewardship of Our Lands and Waters
Take Part in a Tule Canoe Launch Celebration on November 12, 2022
For thousands of years before the colonization of San Francisco, the Coast Miwok (Tamal-ko), people Indigenous to these lands navigated the waters in tule reed canoes held with natural fiber cordage. On November 12th, join the Alliance for Felix Cove and the Museum of the American Indian at McNears Beach Park in San Rafael, CA as we host our first traditional tule canoe launch–in honor of our ancestors and our continued commitment to steward these lands and waters for future generations. All are welcome: register to attend here!
“As the movement to return Indigenous lands into Indigenous hands continues to grow, we are working alongside many in our community to protect, restore and re-Indigenize the ancestral homelands of our Felix family, Tamal-ko people–and to ensure justice for the many families, including my own, that were forcibly removed,” said Theresa Harlan, Founder of the Alliance for Felix Cove. “Part of that work is returning to the cultural practices of our ancestors and reviving them for future generations. We welcome everyone to this celebration of reconnecting with our Tamal-ko ancestors.”
What: A Tule Canoe Launch, under the direction of artist Redbird Willie
When: Saturday, November 12, 2022, 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM PST
Where: McNears Beach Park, 201 Cantera Way, San Rafael, CA 94901
Who: All are invited to attend!
For questions or more information, contact: info@alliance4felixcove.org
The celebration marks the culmination of a series of workshops held over the last six months–led by artist Redbird Willie–to guide volunteers in building a traditional tule canoe, or sáka. These learning experiences focused on building knowledge of tule and dog bane, our plant relatives, and to raise awareness that Coast Miwok culture remains alive and well in our communities. As one workshop participate reflected:
“We could have defined our work purely as advocacy and organizing but, as we listened to the land and the water, the message was clear. The land and the water needed us to do the things our ancestors did for millennia. The land wanted to hear the old songs but most importantly the land wanted us to remember how to be in relationship with each other and with all beings.” - Ámate Perez
All across the Americas, Native peoples are leading the shift toward reaffirming ancestral relationships with public lands and honoring the sacred. This celebration is an opportunity for all community members to come together in support of those efforts. For Coast Miwok and other Indigenous descendants, it is a space to honor and reconnect with ancestors and heal from the forced separation from our homelands. For allies of Indigenous nations, it’s a chance to learn and connect with the Coast Miwok people, who stewarded these lands for thousands of years before the arrival of European colonists. We encourage everyone to join us!