The Association of Ramaytush Ohlone (ARO) represents the interests of the Ramaytush Tribe, the original peoples of the San Francisco Peninsula. The purposes of the ARO align with our ancestral responsibilities to care for Mother Earth and to care for the people who reside in our ancestral homeland. The ARO partners with other organizations and agencies to pursue its objectives:
Rematriation: the return of land within our ancestral homeland
Revitalization: the revitalization of our culture, language, and community
Public Education: research, consultation, and education to strengthen Indigeneity and sovereignty
Ecological Restoration: restoring the health of the planet
Community Service: serving Indigenous and other marginalized communities
Re-Indigenization: restoring Indigenous perspectives and values in the arts
Public Policy Advocacy: advocating for the rights of Indigenous peoples in public policy
Programs
1. Rematriation
Rematriation, as opposed to repatriation, refers to the giving back control of the earth to our Earth Mother, or, more specifically, to the original stewards who embrace the traditional practice of listening to our Earth Mother for instruction. From our Earth Mother we receive two basic responsibilities: the care for the earth and to care for people (i.e., the residents who live in our traditional territory) in the same way that Mother Earth has for millennia.
2. Revitalization
The near total genocide of our ancestors was accompanied by a cultural genocide as well—to date we have very little left our culture and language, and so one of our primary goals is to reanimate our traditions and to establish new traditions in our homeland. In addition, we are working toward reestablish our community in our ancestral homeland after years of displacement.
3. Research, Consultation, and Education
The ARO has and will continue to produce publicly available research on California Indian history and culture, including scholarship on Ramaytush and Ohlone peoples. The ARO continues to consult with other entities on interpretive projects involving Native peoples. In addition, the ARO participates in public education at a number of levels, from the development of curriculum to the offering public presentations.
4. Ecological Restoration
Our responsibility to care for Mother Earth can be captured in the contemporary language of ecological restoration, which includes protection and preservation. Because the ARO lacks the resources and human power to accomplish its ecological restoration goals, we partner with other organizations on restoration projects.
5. Community Service
Our responsibility to care for the people who reside in our ancestral homeland manifests in a variety of ways, from providing services for Indigenous and other marginalized communities to advocacy at the highest levels of government.
6. Re-Indigenization
Our goal is to re-Indigenize community life by sharing Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, and wisdom through the arts by means of workshops, performances, and the visual arts.
7. Public Policy Advocacy
We advocate for California Natives and other Indigenous peoples by shaping the very public policies that preserve and protect our sovereignty and rights.