The San Francisco Tour Guide Guild celebrates National Native American Heritage Month with an online presentation dedicated to the Indigenous people of the Bay Area.
Guild Member Steve Johnson will offer his second online presentation, as a follow up to "Gaspar de Portolá, Native Americans, and the Foundation of California".
California history did not begin with the Spanish colonizers, nor with the Gold Rush. For millennia the land was lived on and cherished by native people who adapted to their particular area in remarkable ways.
The Golden State has a particularly rich heritage of native people, and in the Bay Area this includes the Pomo, Miwok, Ohlone, Wappo, and Patwin tribes. The culture, history, and legacy of these tribes will be discussed in detail, as well as their current situation. It is important to include their story - often neglected - when introducing California history to visitors.
November is National Native American Heritage Month since 1990, when President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating for the first time this celebration. Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994.
Guild member Steve Johnson has a degree in U.S. History from San Francisco State University and has been an educator for 30 years. He has taught California History and, as an actor, has portrayed various California characters (James Marshall, Emperor Norton, Domingo Ghirardelli). He is a National Park Service volunteer on Alcatraz, the Presidio, and Fort Point, and runs Walkalong Tours in San Francisco. He is a board member of the Pacifica Historical Society.
This presentation is a FREE event for SFTGG members and their friends/guests. And just like a tour, gratuities are always greatly appreciated. We will be providing Steve's PayPal account to you with the link if interested in doing so.