San Jose leaders have suspended discussions over supporting the federal recognition of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe — pushing it to a vote in mid-September after receiving letters from two congressional leaders critical of the proposal.
Councilmembers Domingo Candelas, David Cohen, Dev Davis, Bien Doan and Peter Ortiz first requested a resolution to champion the tribe’s federal recognition efforts at an Aug. 13 meeting before it was placed on Tuesday’s agenda. But recent letters from Congressmembers Zoe Lofgren and Anna Eshoo raising eligibility concerns have led city officials to postpone a vote supporting federal recognition. As a result of these letters, the San Jose City Council has deferred it until Sept. 17.
Almost 100 years have passed since any Ohlone tribes held federal recognition, with the Sacramento Indian Agency of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs dropping the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s status in 1928. A spokesperson for the tribe said it has been fighting for federal recognition since the Bureau of Indian Affairs mistakenly forgot to include it on a 1978 list of officially recognized tribes. Tribe representatives said they submitted an additional petition in 1995 and the process is ongoing.