Coast Miwok bronze statue proposed for downtown Tiburon

Lucina Badari, a Coast Miwok descendant, presented a proposal to the Town of Tiburon Heritage and Arts Commission to install an 8-foot life-sized bronze statue of a Coast Miwok dancer in downtown Tiburon, saying the piece would "foster a greater understanding and appreciation for the culture, history, and traditional ways of the Coast Miwok communities of Marin County."

Badari described the statue as a gesture of reconciliation and education and said the work would be created by sculptor Will Petit of WJP Studios in Monterey. She told the commission the piece would be freestanding, visible from ferry approaches and could draw visitors as a local cultural landmark. "This project has been undertaken with the utmost sensitivity to my Native American heritage and ancestors," Badari said during her presentation.

The proposal calls for an approximately 8-foot bronze figure on a modest concrete pedestal (presenters estimated a pedestal roughly 2 to 2.5 feet high and about 2.5 by 3 feet), with final dimensions and exact siting to be determined by the town and the artist. Badari said she has paid the artist more than $20,000 in total for multiple projects, that $10,000 of that has been applied toward the dancer sculpture, and that the current estimated balance listed in the presentation was $1.11; she described the full installation timeline as "six months to a year" once funding is in place.

Badari said the artist researched traditional Coast Miwok regalia for the maquette, including use of flicker and other feathers and a tule grass skirt, and that the tribal council for local Coast Miwok groups has reviewed and expressed support. She also said a Marin County historian who reviewed the maquette called it "the most authentic" Coast Miwok depiction she had seen, and that the project team would welcome additional feedback from tribal members and anthropologists.

Lynn Robinson, a volunteer and supporter who attended with Badari, introduced the project and described prior community-funded art projects she helped organize in nearby San Rafael. Robinson said the statue would "speak to diversity and equity and peace" and encouraged town staff to consider the proposal as combining heritage and public art.

Commission members asked questions about siting, security and authenticity. Commissioner Gupta (Heritage and Arts Commission) said the commission's "purview is her heritage and ours," noting the commission has an interest in projects that combine heritage and public art. Gupta added that the commission's interest also reflects local school curricula that bring Coast Miwok history to students.

Presenters proposed downtown locations near the ferry terminal and the Tiburon Museum as preferred sites and also mentioned Blackie's Pasture as an alternative. Badari said the site selection is not final and that she and the artist are open to suggestions. She acknowledged potential concerns about vandalism and children climbing on the statue and said the artist and project team would consider measures such as subtle barriers or site design to discourage climbing.

Badari described fundraising plans that would combine private and public contributions and said volunteers are creating brochures and outreach materials; she invited residents and the commission to provide feedback and to help identify funding partners. The presentation did not include a formal funding request to the town or a vote by the commission; no permit or formal Town approvals were recorded during the meeting.

Speakers also discussed outreach to nearby Sausalito, where Badari said she and Robinson previously met with city officials but had not received a recent response. Badari emphasized the project was intended to be collaborative with Coast Miwok tribal members and to serve as an educational site reflecting Marin County history.

Next steps mentioned in the meeting included follow-up consultation with tribal representatives and historians, further fundraising, and working with town staff on potential siting and permitting. The commission did not take formal action during the presentation; commissioners expressed interest and asked staff to advise on permitting and next steps.