As the founder of Cafe Ohlone in Berkeley, the only Ohlone restaurant in the world, I have long worked to see the complex layers of my East Bay Ohlone culture better represented for the benefit of my community and better understood and respected by the public. Since my partner, Louis Trevino, and I established Cafe Ohlone in 2018 as a way of representing Ohlone culture through sophisticated Ohlone culinary traditions, our work has spread into connected spheres: place-based land restoration, more necessary than ever in this time of changing climate; the historic ‘ottoy Initiative at the University of California, Berkeley, which aims to spread awareness of Ohlone culture on campus; and amplifying Ohlone knowledge throughout Bay Area cultural institutions where our voices were not included before. These efforts are interlinked in order to uplift Ohlone identity while simultaneously teaching the public about living Ohlone culture. Recently, another monumental moment arrived, one that teaches that our knowledge of Ohlone astronomy is dynamic.
Last spring, after more than a year of development with our Ohlone people and our fantastic partners at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, history was made: the premiere of the first-ever Ohlone planetarium show, mur taaraxtak—Ohlone Skies. Our goals with mur taaraxtak were to build respect for and understanding of our Ohlone people and our intimate knowledge of the astronomical beings above us. We wanted to elevate the specificity of our culture: to teach that the East Bay is an ancient place and that the Ohlone people have always been right here in our beloved, gorgeous homeland.
“I was impressed and I only wish my father could have been there to see it, but I have a feeling he was on the other side of the stars looking down at us.”
—Andrew Galvan, president of the Ohlone Indian tribe
On June 9, 2024, on a brilliant, warm afternoon, Ohlone family filled the Chabot planetarium, commingling with the public to watch the show in its near-final state. Before the show started, a multigenerational panel of Ohlones gathered onstage to speak about why representation matters in spaces like the Chabot Space and Science Center. Each panelist spoke of experiences of exclusion or dismissal by non-Ohlones and cultural institutions, and they spoke about how positive it is to see change happen when we tell our stories with our own voices. Then, as the lights dimmed in the planetarium, which had filled with hundreds of people, a bullroarer—a traditional Ohlone instrument that emits an otherworldly sound—directed the audience’s attention above. As the Milky Way transitioned into an iridescent abalone shell encompassing the planetarium’s dome, the sound of Chochenyo words reverberated through the theater.
“Seeing my family and homeland represented in such a beautiful way was an experience I’ll never forget. I loved sharing that moment with my grandmother, who has worked so hard to preserve our culture and keep the stories of our ancestors alive.”
—Camie VanKeuren, East Bay Ohlone
Chochenyo, the first language spoken in the East Bay, weaves gracefully through every element of the 30-minute show that narrates Ohlone understandings of Sun, Moon, Venus, constellations, eclipses, and their impact on us here on Earth. Story, history, futurisms, and family are incorporated into each show segment, all working together to highlight the continuity of Ohlone people here on our land. When questions arose during the show’s development, we approached our elders, such as our beloved Auntie Dottie (Dolores Lameira Galvan), 94, who would poetically describe to us knowledge she learned from generations before about what, and who, is above us.
The show gives thanks to our elders of today, our heroes, like Auntie Dottie, who tell us of manni mak warép hiswi—when our world began—recounting the time waters from the Great Flood descended from the double peaks of mighty ṭuuštak—Mount Diablo—in the ancient days, the days when the world was entering a time of formation to create perfection and abundance here on our land.
It describes the ones before us who navigated San Francisco Bay on fine boats made of tule reeds under starlight; who wove baskets adorned with intricate featherwork, olivella disc beads, and iridescent abalone; coming through dreams, the basketry designs were so fine they continue to dazzle the imagination. They tended to this rich landscape with fire, ensuring managed and constant abundance. They created shellmounds that soared into the heavens. They celebrated artistry in every element of daily life. They practiced kindness as a virtue.
In Chochenyo language, the first language of the East Bay, we say:
- makkin roote nommo hemmen ṭuuxi: We’ve been here all along.
- makkin roote nommo ne ṭuuxi: We’re here today.
- hossi makkin rootesin nommo huššištak ‘ayye: Just as we’ll be here tomorrow too.
- holše mak-nuunu: Our culture is beautiful.
- ‘ewwe mak-huššištak: Our future is bright.
- hossi hišmen ‘at ‘oššekma roote riinihmu makkinmu: Just as the sun and the stars above us.
I will give a glimpse here of the astronomical knowledge shared in the show, while omitting specific details to both protect Ohlone knowledge and not share too much for those who will see this dynamic presentation. The ones from before, our powerful ancestors, saw mur taaraxtak—the night sky—and they saw a living universe that teaches us on Earth and communicates with us, having its own agency and purpose. Every movement above was carefully observed by Ohlone astronomers here in the East Bay. Time was kept by looking above. Offerings were given and celebrations were held for the stars, the Sun, and the Moon. This deep, specific knowledge, carried on for thousands of generations, has never been lost, and it teaches us still today.
That knowledge carries on despite that when colonization arrived a relatively short time ago, the world around us began to change. The show does not shy away from the hardship imposed on Ohlone people by newcomers, no question about it. Our ancestors survived through the anguish at Mission San Jose and Mission Dolores, where Spanish soldiers and missionaries attempted to extinguish our culture. Our ancestors persevered through the genocide that was led by the State of California; our forebears always protected each other, even through the most painful moments in our collective history.
“Seeing our culture shared in such an incredible venue and hearing the reaction of the crowd made me so proud and brings a smile to my face every time I think about the experience.”
—Stacie Hungerford, East Bay Ohlone
Yet colonization does not define our story, and the planetarium event is but one example. Our continuity exists under the same stars. What we see above us today, our ancestors gazed upon from the same land we stand on today. Under those same stars, the same knowledge is continuous and the family is continuous. Every generation of our Ohlone people has been here and every moment of our history has occurred here; the East Bay is our only home. Every moment of our future will occur here too, as ‘awwe—Morning Star—predicts, before hišmen—the Sun—rises for another day.
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When the premiere concluded, Ohlone family and the public alike walked away feeling the reverent emotionality of the moment: a story told on our terms that speaks to the heart while imparting a glimpse of the beautiful and complex knowledge we Ohlones continue to respect. There has never been a planetarium show like this; it is a tangible reminder that change does not have to be feared and can benefit everyone.
“To see our family and Ohlone culture represented at the planetarium made me proud, but also reminded me of our elders who have fought for so long to protect and keep our culture alive. Continuing their work in such a big way has been a great honor.”
—Tina Laudani, East Bay Ohlone
One month after the show debuted, my beloved grandfather, Louis Medina, passed on from this earth. Born in Oakland in 1940, he is the epitome of an Ohlone hero, someone who was always proud to be Ohlone, who lived with dignity and honor, and who passed his love for our culture on to me. To honor my grandfather, the final version of mur taaraxtak—the first Ohlone planetarium show in history—is dedicated to him and the exemplary life that he lived, a life that continues to inspire and teach me.
The development, premiere, and regular showings of mur taaraxtak represent a historic trend—at Chabot and throughout Bay Area cultural institutions, Ohlone culture and knowledge are present in spaces where they had previously been left out, teaching the public in an honest way and providing accurate representation, where we Ohlones can see ourselves and the beauty of our culture as told by us.
We thank all those who worked alongside us: our elders, our tribal members; our general manager, Deirdre Greene; and our allies at Chabot such as Ben Burress and his colleagues—all of whom worked together to bring this unprecedented show to the planetarium dome.
As residents collectively look to the night sky here in the East Bay, their understanding of Ohlone people and our knowledge of the stars is fuller and brighter today. We are proud to have contributed to this moment, and we are grateful to our forebears, who teach us and allow us to continue to be present here on our land.
“It was a moment that I never thought I would get to see, and one I only dreamed of. It was a touching and amazing feeling that filled my heart with hope for the future.”
—Dolores Lameira Galvan, matriarch of the East Bay Ohlone people
If you go
For Ohlone Skies planetarium showtimes, visit the Chabot Space and Science Center program listings at ChabotSpace.org.
