www.montereycountynow.com JULY 17-23, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 Proclamation Apologizing to the Dutra Street Indigenous Residents and their Descendants in Monterey and Acknowledgement of Historic Injustices Towards Nati e American Populations WHEREAS, prior to the Spanish colonization beginning in 1769, the Indigenous tribes had lived on their ancestral lands for thousands of years; WHEREAS, during the Spanish colonial period beginning in 1770 the California Missions were to “convert” Indigenous populations within 10 years and return land and resources to the Indigenous populations, with Indigenous families directly affected; WHEREAS, during the Mexican period beginning in 18 1, lands that had been previously recognized for Indigenous families were deeded as “ranchos” to large land grants across California for Mexican and Californio families; WHEREAS, the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, ceding land to the United States and identifying boundaries and extended property and civil rights of Mexican nationals in California; WHEREAS, the 1849 California State Constitutional Convention excluded Indigenous populations from citizenship or the right to vote; WHEREAS, in 1850, the State of California’s “Act for the Government and Protection of Indians” removed the legal rights for California Indians to represent themselves or be witnesses at court, be arrested for vagrancy, and allowed any white person to pay the bond for any incarcerated Indigenous person and in return be compelled to indentured labor; WHEREAS, the State of California’s “Act for the Government and Protection of Indians” removed the rights of Indigenous families and facilitated removal from their homelands by allowing any white person to contact a ustice of the Peace to obtain Indian children for indenture, or to remove any Indians from land in a white person’s possession; WHEREAS, during the Gold Rush, the United States government authorized a special commission to cede land to the United States in exchange for compensation and reservation land; these 1851 to 185 treaties by the United States Government were unratified by the United States Senate and placed in an injunction of secrecy, leaving native land titles unrecognized; WHEREAS, the Old Monterey ail holds justice and incarceration records of Indigenous men being bonded for labor; WHEREAS, on une , 19 4, the United States Congress enacted the Indian Citizenship Act, which finally allowed Indigenous first peoples the right to vote; WHEREAS, the California State “Act for the Government and Protection of Indians” was not fully repealed until 19 7; WHEREAS, these institutional and legislative barriers led to Indigenous families identifying publicly as Mexican to access the same rights as their community; WHEREAS, villages of Indigenous families continued to live in Monterey and contribute to the complex history of our city; WHEREAS, on Dutra Street there was the last Indigenous village, where five to seven Indigenous extended families had lived on land owned by several Indigenous landowners since the beginning of the 0th century or earlier, and; WHEREAS, through the years, Dutra Street was home to workers who had helped to build Monterey, consultants to anthropologists, and visited by other important guests, such as ohn Steinbeck, and; WHEREAS, comments from staff and City Council members at the time reveal racism and classism, and; WHEREAS, the construction of the Monterey Police and Fire departments’ Public Safety complex at Dutra, Madison and Pacific streets led to the use of eminent domain and the removal of these family networks; WHEREAS, there was no other land designated for Dutra Street residents and they were left to disperse throughout the area, making transmission of cultural traditions and gatherings of the tribe extremely difficult, and; WHEREAS, the village residents were dispersed after the use of eminent domain of the property at Dutra, Madison, and Pacific streets and whose compensation may have fallen short; WHEREAS, despite these challenges, the Indigenous families of Monterey continue to live and contribute to the Monterey community today in their ancestral lands; and WHEREAS, culture bearer Isabelle Meadows, and descendants of Tomas Torres and Salvador Mucjai, among others, continued the oral traditions and cultural traditions of the Indigenous community; WHEREAS, the City of Monterey recognizes the Monterey region as the ancestral home of the Indigenous peoples. NOW, THEREFORE, E IT RESO ED THAT I, Tyller Williamson Mayor of the City of Monterey, on behalf of the City Council and citizens, apologize to the Dutra Street Indigenous Residents and their Descendants in Monterey and acknowledge historic injustices towards Native American populations. Dated: June 17, Tyller Williamson, Mayor A MESSAGE FROM THE CITY OF MONTEREY CITY COUNCIL A proclamation of acknowledgement signed by Mayor Tyller Williamson on June 17, 2025, on behalf of the Monterey City Council. The Monterey City Council Agenda Report and Proclamation are available on isearchmonterey.org. The video recording of the June 17, 2025 Monterey City Council meeting is available for viewing at youtube.com/cityofmonterey. Questions can be addressed by email to suggest@monterey.gov or by calling (831) 646-3760.
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