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San Francisco commission adopts Ramaytush Ohlone land-acknowledgment resolution
Summary
The San Francisco Commission on the Environment unanimously adopted a resolution to read a Ramaytush Ohlone land acknowledgment at the start of its meetings and to pursue tribal consultation and incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge into policy. Supporters called it a first step; some public commenters urged that words be followed by concrete action.
The San Francisco Commission on the Environment voted unanimously to adopt a resolution establishing a land acknowledgment recognizing the Ramaytush Ohlone as the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula and committing the commission to consult with tribal representatives and embed traditional ecological knowledge in policy and planning.
Commissioner Elmi Bermejo introduced the resolution (Resolution File Number 2020One-one-COE), reading language that framed the city as occupying “the unseated ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples” and urged the commission to honor tribal knowledge in environmental stewardship. Sharaya Souza, executive director and co‑founder of the American Indian Cultural District, told the commission the measure “is the first step to building a meaningful relationship” and urged the commission to embed traditional ecological knowledge into planning and climate initiatives.
Public commenters, including tribal members and leaders, expressed support for the resolution but pressed the commission to pair the acknowledgment with action. Mary Travis Allen, president of the advisory board for the American Indian Cultural District, called for the commission’s support so the city can “help reinvigorate not just the land, but the people.” Other callers asked the commission to connect the acknowledgment to tangible measures such as toxics reduction and to ensure tribal consultation is substantive.
Commission discussion was brief and procedural; a motion to approve the resolution was made and seconded, public comment was taken, and the commission recorded a unanimous roll-call vote in favor.
The resolution directs staff to develop a protocol for when and how the acknowledgement might be implemented at department meetings and events and calls for an adapted version for the commission’s operations and policy committee meetings. It also instructs the commission to engage San Francisco’s American Indian Cultural District and other stakeholders to elevate traditional ecological knowledge in city policy.
The commission framed the measure as an initial, formal recognition that will be followed by consultation. The resolution passed without amendment. The commission indicated it will pursue the promised consultation and follow-up steps as part of its next work plan.
