Council delays vote on Muwekma Ohlone recognition after extended public testimony; item continued to Feb. 24, 2026
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Summary
After nearly three hours of public comment from tribal members, students and opponents, the Richmond City Council continued a resolution urging federal recognition of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe and set a new hearing date so parties can meet and attempt to resolve competing claims.
The Richmond City Council on Oct. 21 postponed action on a resolution urging the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs to recognize the Muwekma Ohlone tribe, after extensive public testimony from tribal members, students, scholars and representatives of other local Ohlone groups.
Charlene Nizhme, chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone, told the council the tribe is the descendant political successor to the Verona Band of Alameda County and urged Richmond to send a letter supporting restoration of federal recognition. She cited court findings and recent academic research and said the tribe seeks restoration to access repatriation, education and health services.
More than a dozen public speakers—many of them young tribal members and students—described cultural loss and the presence of ancestral remains in museum and university collections. Supporters said federal recognition would restore access to healthcare and repatriation rights and noted scientific and court rulings they said bolster Muwekma’s claim.
Several speakers from organizations that identify with other Ohlone lineages raised objections, saying a Richmond endorsement could erase local groups’ existing work and complicate ongoing tribal relationships. The Segoria Tei Land Trust and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan urged the council to consult other ancestral groups before taking a position.
Councilmembers said the issue is complex and involves disputed territorial and genealogical claims among different Ohlone groups. Councilmember Claudia Jimenez and Councilmember Melvin Robinson urged dialogue among the parties. Robinson said she supports correcting federal decisions that declared tribal groups “extinct” in the past but said the council should not step into intra‑indigenous disputes.
By unanimous vote the council continued the item and scheduled it for return on Feb. 24, 2026, so that the parties can meet and try to reach agreement; the council recorded no formal vote on recognition at the Oct. 21 meeting.
