0:00:15.829,0:00:18.030 It takes time to get to know this city. 0:00:18.459,0:00:20.889 Whether you're a student at CAL or just a resident. 0:00:20.899,0:00:24.610 Anyone who lives here at some point or another discovers that Berkeley like. 0:00:24.620,0:00:27.750 The rest of the Bay Area is a place of opportunity and culture. 0:00:28.229,0:00:31.090 But how much do we know about the grounds beneath this city? 0:00:31.100,0:00:34.700 What about the people who lived here before us? What has changed for them? 0:00:34.840,0:00:35.930 And what's next? 0:00:36.080,0:00:37.259 My name is Jaden Cruz. 0:00:37.380,0:00:39.000 And this is Cal TV. 0:00:45.270,0:00:46.630 For thousands of years. 0:00:46.639,0:00:49.810 The Ohlone people settled across the coast of northern California. 0:00:49.819,0:00:54.049 As hunter gatherers, they created a rich and diverse culture in various tribes. 0:00:54.060,0:00:56.529 Especially in the densely populated Bay Area. 0:00:56.540,0:00:59.369 After contact with both Spanish missionaries and. 0:00:59.380,0:01:01.549 American settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries. 0:01:01.560,0:01:05.199 Their numbers dropped significantly from both diseases and displacement. 0:01:05.309,0:01:07.529 However, their descendants are still here today. 0:01:07.540,0:01:11.300 Both as members of their respective tribes and as active Berkeley residents. 0:01:11.519,0:01:14.986 I wanted to find out how, how the city of Berkeley recognizes these tribes. 0:01:15.096,0:01:18.676 And looks to preserve the Ohlone legacy. I found my answer. 0:01:18.825,0:01:20.106 At the Berkeley Shellmound. 0:01:20.216,0:01:23.435 The site of the 1904th Street project. 0:01:23.445,0:01:25.646 The shell mounds are hills sized piles of shells. 0:01:25.655,0:01:30.505 Tools, skeletons and soil created by thousands of years of use by Ohlone natives. 0:01:30.515,0:01:33.526 These piles stood high above the tides allowing tribes. 0:01:33.536,0:01:36.566 To settle near the shoreline on the remains of their ancestors. 0:01:36.575,0:01:38.865 Despite their importance to the Ohlone heritage. 0:01:38.875,0:01:41.522 Many sites have been up covered or completely. 0:01:41.531,0:01:44.232 Destroyed by decades of American urban development. 0:01:44.241,0:01:48.802 The first case, a dance pavilion for California's shell mound Park attraction. 0:01:48.811,0:01:51.851 More recently, a 19 acre shopping mall. 0:01:52.052,0:01:52.702 In Emeryville. 0:01:52.802,0:01:56.571 In 2000, the city of Berkeley designated the parking lot across from. 0:01:56.722,0:01:59.281 Spens fish grotto to be the site of the Berkeley Shell mound. 0:01:59.412,0:02:00.382 According to the city. 0:02:00.391,0:02:04.882 This parking lot covers the largest shell mound ever recorded in the region. 0:02:05.141,0:02:07.202 But that's not entirely accurate. 0:02:07.559,0:02:09.710 Maps like this have shown that the parking lot. 0:02:09.720,0:02:12.470 Was between shell mounds here and here and other studies have claimed. 0:02:12.479,0:02:14.660 That there has been almost no evidence of any shell mound. 0:02:14.669,0:02:17.899 Remains under the parking lot itself because of this ambiguity. 0:02:17.910,0:02:19.479 The lot was open to investors. 0:02:19.490,0:02:21.100 And pretty soon a number of urban planners. 0:02:21.110,0:02:24.339 Came together to design the 1904th Street project. 0:02:24.350,0:02:27.429 The project plans to use 33,000 square feet for restaurant. 0:02:27.440,0:02:31.119 And retail space with a 135 apartment complexes above. 0:02:31.130,0:02:34.860 Despite the project's proposed benefits to the housing market in West Berkeley. 0:02:34.869,0:02:36.880 Many residents have voiced their concerns. 0:02:36.889,0:02:38.710 Specifically that it would desecrate. 0:02:38.720,0:02:42.110 Ohlone legacy after reading so much about the Berkeley Shell mound. 0:02:42.119,0:02:44.020 I wanted to see the site for myself. 0:02:44.029,0:02:47.639 So I decided to take the 51 B down to Berkeley Amtrak Station. 0:02:47.869,0:02:48.770 Right next to Spenger's. 0:02:48.910,0:02:49.800 Parking lot. 0:03:25.899,0:03:28.619 There's a lot more construction here than I had realized. 0:03:28.679,0:03:32.630 It looks like this area is kind of a key place for real estate in the city of Berkeley. 0:03:32.979,0:03:37.270 But these murals give you a glimpse of the world before urban development here. 0:03:50.610,0:03:53.860 So surrounding this area is. 0:03:53.869,0:03:58.229 Fourth Street University hurst and the train tracks everywhere. 0:03:58.240,0:04:03.949 Around here used to be the shell mounds which piled up 40 50 ft high. 0:04:04.080,0:04:06.929 Of Ohlone remains and artifacts. 0:04:06.940,0:04:09.029 The Ohlone tribes would live on those shell mounds. 0:04:09.039,0:04:10.669 And they were kind of like burial grounds. 0:04:10.679,0:04:11.190 Despite that. 0:04:11.199,0:04:14.619 The city of Berkeley considers this particular parking lot to be. 0:04:14.630,0:04:17.548 The site of the Berkeley shell mound and it's a landmark. 0:04:17.559,0:04:20.250 It's kind of debatable whether it was actually the site. 0:04:22.190,0:04:25.540 The controversy surrounding the parking lot is not new to the Bay area. 0:04:25.549,0:04:28.059 Many activists began protests against the construction. 0:04:28.070,0:04:30.579 Over the Emeryville shell mound in 2002. 0:04:30.589,0:04:33.869 1 such activist was Karina Gould who began the IPOC. 0:04:33.880,0:04:37.579 The Indian people organizing for change in an effort to raise awareness about the. 0:04:37.589,0:04:40.970 Native heritage in the Bay area and the destruction of their shell mounds. 0:04:41.000,0:04:42.700 Corrina's objective is to protect these. 0:04:42.709,0:04:45.179 Grounds by gaining federal recognition for active. 0:04:45.190,0:04:48.967 Ohlone tribes and protecting the Berkeley Shell mound is one of her priorities. 0:04:48.976,0:04:52.717 In March of this year, the IPOC proposed an alternate design for the lot, 0:04:52.726,0:04:55.147 A park with a 40 ft high mound that would provide. 0:04:55.157,0:04:58.096 As both a cultural monument and a space for preservation. 0:04:58.106,0:04:59.796 But there is another side to the issue. 0:04:59.867,0:05:00.717 Andrew Galvin. 0:05:00.726,0:05:02.677 The Ohlone representative who is overseeing. 0:05:02.687,0:05:05.937 The construction of 1904th Street has voiced his support. 0:05:05.946,0:05:08.016 For the project saying that the parking lot. 0:05:08.027,0:05:10.356 Was mistakenly landmarked in the first place. 0:05:10.367,0:05:12.957 And as studies have shown he may not be wrong. 0:05:13.623,0:05:17.294 That the project promises 135 new homes for Berkeley residents. 0:05:17.303,0:05:20.614 10% of which will be designated for low income families. 0:05:20.623,0:05:22.493 It is hard to say that preserving the lot. 0:05:22.503,0:05:24.954 Based on outdated information is really worth it. 0:05:24.963,0:05:28.093 Especially in Berkeley's current housing market at the moment. 0:05:28.104,0:05:31.533 The future is uncertain for city planners and the IPOC. 0:05:31.544,0:05:33.813 But it's important for students like us to learn more. 0:05:33.824,0:05:36.213 About what's happening in our city to stay informed. 0:05:36.223,0:05:37.614 What are your thoughts on this? 0:05:37.623,0:05:39.053 Do you think that the investors have a right. 0:05:39.131,0:05:40.971 To build on the site if it wasn't actually. 0:05:40.980,0:05:42.651 The shell mound or do you think that the culture. 0:05:42.661,0:05:45.110 Of Berkeley is threatened by city projects like this? 0:05:45.121,0:05:47.191 Let us know what you think in the comments below. 0:05:47.300,0:05:49.430 If you want to find out more about the Berkeley Shell mound. 0:05:49.441,0:05:53.091 And the 1904th Street project check out our links in the description. 0:05:53.101,0:05:56.540 A very special thanks to the cinematographers who helped me film this video. 0:05:56.550,0:05:59.501 Tap or click here and here for more news and entertainment from CAL TV. 0:05:59.510,0:06:03.661 Be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media. My name is Jada Cruz. 0:06:03.680,0:06:04.751 Thank you for watching.