DPCCC membership approved the following resolution at the June 16, 2022 regular meeting.
WHEREAS, on March 07, 2022, a Senate Joint Resolution (SJR 13) was introduced by Senator Cortese and Coauthors Senator Wieckowski, Assembly Members Kalra, Lee, Low, and Robert Rivas, which would urge the United States Congress and the Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Indian Affairs to reaffirm and restore the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe as a federally recognized tribe and include the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in the Federal Register as a recognized tribe; and
WHEREAS, several California counties and elected officials have officially supported the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in its efforts for recognition through legislation commending their efforts and historical and social accomplishments, supporting requests for historical claim by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, and urging the federal government to reaffirm and restore the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe as a federally recognized tribe; and
WHEREAS, part of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s aboriginal and ethnohistoric territory includes Contra Costa County;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County supports the adoption of SJR 13 and calls on the Department of the Interior and the federal government to officially recognize the historical and social history of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe by restoring the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe as a federally recognized tribe; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution will be sent to Chairman Dodd and the members of the Senate Committee on Governmental Organization urging the committee to hear and vote to pass SJR 13 onto the full Senate for debate and, at the discretion of the Chair and Executive Board, to any subsequent legislative committee assigned to consider and act on SJR 13.
Submitted by Susan Hildreth, Elected Member, District 2, May 31, 2022