The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay, with over 600 members, has been engaged in a decades-long struggle for federal recognition. Led by Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh, the tribe has accused Democratic Party leaders, particularly entrenched Bay Area congressional incumbents, of obstructing their efforts for political gain. The situation has sparked significant controversy, highlighting tensions between the tribe’s quest for justice and the Democratic Party’s priorities.
The Muwekma Ohlone’s Fight for Federal Recognition
The Muwekma Ohlone people have lived in the Bay Area for more than 10,000 years, whose aboriginal territory includes the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda, and portions of San Juaquin, Solano, Napa, and Santa Cruz. Despite being federally recognized as the Verona Band of Alamada County, the tribe was wrongly omitted from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ 1978 list of federally recognized tribes, a decision they attribute to a historical error by an Indian agent named Lafayette Dorrington who actions drove the political erasure of 135 homeless bands of Indians across the State.
Federal recognition would acknowledge the tribe’s sovereignty (which a federal judge determined Muwekma still retains), access to federal funding for healthcare, education, and housing, and the ability to repatriate ancestral remains and artifacts held by institutions like UC Berkeley.
In 2024, the tribe launched the “Trail of Truth,” a horseback journey from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of their cause. This campaign, led by Nijmeh, arrived at the nation’s capital during the 2024 elections. The Harris campaign tried to silence Muwekma’s criticism and nine people were arrested on false charges of assaulting police officers and eight for interfering with an agency. All the charges were soon after dismissed. In recent years, the tribe’s efforts have included a push to rematriate the Presidio, a 1,500-acre national park that was once a Spanish fort, prior to that the site of two Ohlone villages. President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order to dismantle the Presidio Trust has sparked conversations about returning the Presidio to the Muwekma Ohlone, as the Tribe has never ceded or surrendered aboriginal title to it.
Democratic Party Obstruction
The Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, under Nijmeh’s leadership, has accused Democratic congressional leaders, including Representatives Zoe Lofgren and Anna Eshoo, of obstructing their federal recognition efforts. These accusations stem from several key incidents.
In January 2023, five Democratic Congress members—Eshoo, Lofgren, Ro Khanna, Jimmy Panetta, and Eric Swalwell—expressed concerns about gaming in their districts, citing potential negative impacts on their communities. Nijmeh countered that this stance effectively demands the tribe relinquish rights afforded to other federally recognized tribes, a condition they view as discriminatory.
To elevate the Tribe’s struggle in the regional discourse, Nijmeh ran as a Democrat against Lofgren in the March 2024 primary for California’s 18th Congressional District. The campaign left Lofgren feeling disrespected, given her stature in the Congress and 30-year incumbency.
In 2024, the tribe sought a resolution from the San Jose City Council to support their federal recognition bid. However, in September of 2024 discussions were suspended after Lofgren and Eshoo sent letters cautioning the council against intervening in federal matters. Nijmeh claimed that Lofgren was protecting the interests of wealthy casino donors, suggesting that opposition to the tribe’s recognition was driven by fears of potential gaming rights. The tribe argues that such rights are integral to their sovereignty.
During the Trail of Truth, Nijmeh explained that California Democratic leaders, influenced by wealthy gaming tribes that donate massive sums of money to the Party, targeted the Muwekma Ohlone, including an incident where federal police assaulted tribal members and threatened to kill their horses while enroute to a meeting at the Bureau of Indian Affairs with Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland.
Alleged of Senior Democratic Leadership
The Muwekma Ohlone describe a deep-seated hypocrisy among Bay Area Democrats. The party, often vocal about supporting marginalized communities and Indigenous rights, is accused of prioritizing political and economic interests over justice for the tribe.
While Democrats’ opposition to the Muwekma Ohlone’s recognition, particularly over gaming concerns, suggests a selective approach to its claimed support of Indigenous rights. The tribe argues that this stance undermines their sovereignty and perpetuates historical disenfranchisement.
Nijmeh asserts that Democratic leaders are bought and paid for by wealthy casino-owning tribes, highlighting transparent conflicts of interest. The fear that federal recognition could lead to gaming in the Bay Area, a region with high economic stakes, appears to drive opposition, despite the tribe’s insistence that their focus is on cultural and land rights.
Nijmeh’s endorsement of Peter Hernandez, Lofgren’s Republican challenger in the 2024 election, and her vocal criticism of Democratic incumbents have fueled perceptions of political retaliation.
The Muwekma Ohlone’s struggle reflects broader issues of Indigenous recognition and political influence in the United States, underscoring the tension between local political priorities and the broader push for Indigenous justice. The Trail of Truth and the #LandbackPresidio initiative highlight the tribe’s determination to reclaim their rights, while entrenched incumbents fear economic disruption and electoral challenges.
As the Muwekma Ohlone continue their fight, their allegations of hypocrisy challenge the Democratic Party to reconcile its public stance on Indigenous rights with its actions in the Bay Area.
“Eshoo, Lofgren, and Pelosi are quickly aging out of office, and a new generation of Democrats are rising up with more modern views on indigenous justice,” Nijmeh explains. “We’ve been here for 10,000 years, and we can outwait any corrupt politician.”
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