Rematriation of Shellmound in Berkeley
June 26, 2024Andrew Schwartz, Of Counsel with the firm, assisted the City of Berkeley in partnership with a coalition of the Indigenous Ohlone tribes, the Confederated Villages of Lisjan (CVL), to rematriate a 2.2-acre site in Berkeley to CVL. The City’s purchase is one of the first instances of a city transferring land back to its original occupants. Of the $27 million purchase price for the land, the City contributed $1.5 million and the Sogorea Te Land Trust, an entity affiliated with CVL, paid $25.5 million. Following the City’s purchase, the City transferred title to the Trust. The property, located at 1900 4th Street and University Avenue, is recognized by some as the oldest shellmound and village site around the Bay. The property will be a cultural heritage site to memorialize the past occupancy by Indigenous people and as a ceremonial ground to highlight Indigenous traditions. For more information, contact Andrew Schwartz.