The Muwekma Tribal Flag Raising at Chabot College
May 5, 2022
For this historical event, residents across the Bay Area visited Hayward at the Chabot Community College, filling chairs with family members, students, and excitement, as many anticipated the flag-raising ceremony on April 18, 2022.
Built on Muwekma-Ohlone Land, Chabot College acknowledges the natives by raising their flag and honoring the tribe’s land legacy.
Veronica Martinez, an enrolled member of the Amah Mutsun, a neighboring tribe to the Muwekma, spoke to the audience stating, “You are here now for the official flag raising of the Muwekma tribal flag; this is just a beautiful [and] amazing event.”
Chabot College’s President Susan Sperling spoke about the event and its importance, “It’s really such a deep honor today to welcome the Muwekma elders, tribal members, and community to Chabot college and to raise a flag acknowledging your righteous and lawful claim, [of your cultural community], to restoration of recognition by the federal government of your tribal integrity and rights.”
On this day, Chabot Community College became the first public institution to raise and fly the Muwekma-Ohlone flag on the first day of Earth Week.