San Francisco Commission adopts Ramaytush Ohlone land-acknowledgment; commission pledges tribal consultation

The San Francisco Commission on the Environment voted unanimously to adopt a resolution that will add a Ramaytush Ohlone land-acknowledgment to the start of commission meetings and direct the Department of the Environment to develop tribal consultation protocols.

Commissioner Elmi Bermejo introduced the resolution and read the acknowledgment text in full, which recognizes the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples as the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula and affirms a commitment to elevate traditional ecological knowledge in policy and planning. The resolution also calls for an adapted version of the language for the commission’s policy and operations committees and asks the department to create guidance for when the acknowledgment should be used at departmental events.

Sharaya Souza, executive director and cofounder of the American Indian Cultural District, urged the commission to follow the statement with meaningful consultation and integration of traditional knowledge into planning and climate work. “Traditional ecological knowledge is a system of stewardship that has existed for thousands of years,” Souza said, adding that such knowledge complements modern science and helps long-term resilience planning.

Public comment during the item largely supported the resolution while urging follow-through. Mary Travis Allen, president of the advisory board for the American Indian Cultural District, asked commissioners to back the resolution so it can help reinvigorate land stewardship and community ties. Some callers also cautioned the commission against allowing acknowledgments to substitute for substantive policy changes.

President Heather Stevenson said the acknowledgment is intended as a first step toward deeper engagement. After a motion to adopt the resolution and a period of public comment, the commission took a roll-call vote; all commissioners voted "Aye." The commission also directed staff to engage in a “meaningful tribal consultation process” with the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone and other American Indian stakeholders, as spelled out in the approved text.

The resolution text and the commission’s request for a consultation protocol will be transmitted with the meeting record. Next steps identified by commissioners and public speakers include creating a point of contact for tribal consultation, embedding traditional ecological knowledge in future policy recommendations, and returning to the commission with concrete implementation steps.