For 10,000 years, the area that we now call California was home to 500 independent groups, each with skills, technologies, beliefs, and social structures adapted to the characteristics of their unique environments. The wealth of knowledge woven into cultural practices and spiritual histories represents a legacy of tremendous value. Despite a remorseless period of oppression and genocide, much of this legacy is still alive. It is morally necessary to keep these cultures intact for the sake of the people who live them—but also to protect a fertile source of inspiration, knowledge, and guidance that can serve as a foundation for broader cultural change. We work in close collaboration with a coalition of Native and non-Native cultural activists in long-established networks of friendship and trust that bridge the gap between remote reservations and the state’s leading academic, cultural, and governmental institutions. Our specific programs include:
At the time of first contact, a great mound—taller than a two-story building and more than 300 feet long—rose dramatically from the flatlands of Berkeley at the mouth of Strawberry Creek.
It is a special joy and privilege to be collaborating with a number of Native American artists and scholars, and ceremonial leaders such as Northern Sierra Mewuk basketweaver Jennifer Bates, Lakota Curator Janeen Antoine (Founder / Director of American Indian Contemporary Arts), Karuk Archivist Susan Gehr, Hupa Artist and Goudi’ni Gallery Director Brittany Britton, Mark D. Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Fine Art at San Francisco State University and Sonia Tamez, retired US Forest Service liaison to Native American Tribes, as well as many other individuals, on a variety of projects focused on supporting the preservation of California Indian Artist’s Archives as well as promoting awareness and presentation of California Indian Cultural Arts. more information
In the Summer and Fall of 2020, California I CAN’s Saving Our Stories Project, coordinated by our Advisor Sonia Tamez, conducted a statewide survey with participation from California Indian communities, tribes, individuals, and many others to gather information about the current state of individual and organizational collections of documents, photos, recordings, objects, art, or other materials pertaining to Native California’s historic and cultural heritage in order to ascertain what kind of support is needed to help preserve important cultural heritage. The Saving Our Stories Project also wrote and produced a number of articles in collaboration with California Indian archivists across the state, including one that reported on the outcomes of the Saving Our Stories Survey. The articles were first published in News from Native California and are now available on our website.
Deep Hanging Out: Wanderings and Wonderment in Native California is the recently released collection of California I CAN Founder Malcolm Margolin’s articles, book introductions, essays, eulogies, and interviews on and with California Indians. It was published by Heyday in July 2021 and is a remarkable summation of Malcolm’s emotional and committed engagement of nearly 50 years with Indians across the state of California. We have organized numerous events to celebrate and promote its release and anticipate doing still more. Check our events page and / or join our mailing list to stay informed.
The Spaniards’ first act of cultural conquest was to replace Native names with European ones, erasing Native history from the California landscape. In a major initiative we’ve entitled Re-Mapping California, we are working with the partnership of The Nature Conservancy, Cal Humanities and other university, state, local, and tribal entities to create community dialogues around the significance of indigenous names and the places they describe. Ultimately, we hope to help restore Native names to the California landscape while educating the general public on Indigenous perspectives of the land through public events, artistic exhibitions, and contemporary mapmaking.
