1 00:00:15,829 --> 00:00:18,030 It takes time to get to know this city. 2 00:00:18,459 --> 00:00:20,889 Whether you're a student at CAL or just a resident. 3 00:00:20,899 --> 00:00:24,610 Anyone who lives here at some point or another discovers that Berkeley like. 4 00:00:24,620 --> 00:00:27,750 The rest of the Bay Area is a place of opportunity and culture. 5 00:00:28,229 --> 00:00:31,090 But how much do we know about the grounds beneath this city? 6 00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:34,700 What about the people who lived here before us? What has changed for them? 7 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:35,930 And what's next? 8 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:37,259 My name is Jaden Cruz. 9 00:00:37,380 --> 00:00:39,000 And this is Cal TV. 10 00:00:45,270 --> 00:00:46,630 For thousands of years. 11 00:00:46,639 --> 00:00:49,810 The Ohlone people settled across the coast of northern California. 12 00:00:49,819 --> 00:00:54,049 As hunter gatherers, they created a rich and diverse culture in various tribes. 13 00:00:54,060 --> 00:00:56,529 Especially in the densely populated Bay Area. 14 00:00:56,540 --> 00:00:59,369 After contact with both Spanish missionaries and. 15 00:00:59,380 --> 00:01:01,549 American settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries. 16 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,199 Their numbers dropped significantly from both diseases and displacement. 17 00:01:05,309 --> 00:01:07,529 However, their descendants are still here today. 18 00:01:07,540 --> 00:01:11,300 Both as members of their respective tribes and as active Berkeley residents. 19 00:01:11,519 --> 00:01:14,986 I wanted to find out how, how the city of Berkeley recognizes these tribes. 20 00:01:15,096 --> 00:01:18,676 And looks to preserve the Ohlone legacy. I found my answer. 21 00:01:18,825 --> 00:01:20,106 At the Berkeley Shellmound. 22 00:01:20,216 --> 00:01:23,435 The site of the 1904th Street project. 23 00:01:23,445 --> 00:01:25,646 The shell mounds are hills sized piles of shells. 24 00:01:25,655 --> 00:01:30,505 Tools, skeletons and soil created by thousands of years of use by Ohlone natives. 25 00:01:30,515 --> 00:01:33,526 These piles stood high above the tides allowing tribes. 26 00:01:33,536 --> 00:01:36,566 To settle near the shoreline on the remains of their ancestors. 27 00:01:36,575 --> 00:01:38,865 Despite their importance to the Ohlone heritage. 28 00:01:38,875 --> 00:01:41,522 Many sites have been up covered or completely. 29 00:01:41,531 --> 00:01:44,232 Destroyed by decades of American urban development. 30 00:01:44,241 --> 00:01:48,802 The first case, a dance pavilion for California's shell mound Park attraction. 31 00:01:48,811 --> 00:01:51,851 More recently, a 19 acre shopping mall. 32 00:01:52,052 --> 00:01:52,702 In Emeryville. 33 00:01:52,802 --> 00:01:56,571 In 2000, the city of Berkeley designated the parking lot across from. 34 00:01:56,722 --> 00:01:59,281 Spens fish grotto to be the site of the Berkeley Shell mound. 35 00:01:59,412 --> 00:02:00,382 According to the city. 36 00:02:00,391 --> 00:02:04,882 This parking lot covers the largest shell mound ever recorded in the region. 37 00:02:05,141 --> 00:02:07,202 But that's not entirely accurate. 38 00:02:07,559 --> 00:02:09,710 Maps like this have shown that the parking lot. 39 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,470 Was between shell mounds here and here and other studies have claimed. 40 00:02:12,479 --> 00:02:14,660 That there has been almost no evidence of any shell mound. 41 00:02:14,669 --> 00:02:17,899 Remains under the parking lot itself because of this ambiguity. 42 00:02:17,910 --> 00:02:19,479 The lot was open to investors. 43 00:02:19,490 --> 00:02:21,100 And pretty soon a number of urban planners. 44 00:02:21,110 --> 00:02:24,339 Came together to design the 1904th Street project. 45 00:02:24,350 --> 00:02:27,429 The project plans to use 33,000 square feet for restaurant. 46 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,119 And retail space with a 135 apartment complexes above. 47 00:02:31,130 --> 00:02:34,860 Despite the project's proposed benefits to the housing market in West Berkeley. 48 00:02:34,869 --> 00:02:36,880 Many residents have voiced their concerns. 49 00:02:36,889 --> 00:02:38,710 Specifically that it would desecrate. 50 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:42,110 Ohlone legacy after reading so much about the Berkeley Shell mound. 51 00:02:42,119 --> 00:02:44,020 I wanted to see the site for myself. 52 00:02:44,029 --> 00:02:47,639 So I decided to take the 51 B down to Berkeley Amtrak Station. 53 00:02:47,869 --> 00:02:48,770 Right next to Spenger's. 54 00:02:48,910 --> 00:02:49,800 Parking lot. 55 00:03:25,899 --> 00:03:28,619 There's a lot more construction here than I had realized. 56 00:03:28,679 --> 00:03:32,630 It looks like this area is kind of a key place for real estate in the city of Berkeley. 57 00:03:32,979 --> 00:03:37,270 But these murals give you a glimpse of the world before urban development here. 58 00:03:50,610 --> 00:03:53,860 So surrounding this area is. 59 00:03:53,869 --> 00:03:58,229 Fourth Street University hurst and the train tracks everywhere. 60 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:03,949 Around here used to be the shell mounds which piled up 40 50 ft high. 61 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:06,929 Of Ohlone remains and artifacts. 62 00:04:06,940 --> 00:04:09,029 The Ohlone tribes would live on those shell mounds. 63 00:04:09,039 --> 00:04:10,669 And they were kind of like burial grounds. 64 00:04:10,679 --> 00:04:11,190 Despite that. 65 00:04:11,199 --> 00:04:14,619 The city of Berkeley considers this particular parking lot to be. 66 00:04:14,630 --> 00:04:17,548 The site of the Berkeley shell mound and it's a landmark. 67 00:04:17,559 --> 00:04:20,250 It's kind of debatable whether it was actually the site. 68 00:04:22,190 --> 00:04:25,540 The controversy surrounding the parking lot is not new to the Bay area. 69 00:04:25,549 --> 00:04:28,059 Many activists began protests against the construction. 70 00:04:28,070 --> 00:04:30,579 Over the Emeryville shell mound in 2002. 71 00:04:30,589 --> 00:04:33,869 1 such activist was Karina Gould who began the IPOC. 72 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,579 The Indian people organizing for change in an effort to raise awareness about the. 73 00:04:37,589 --> 00:04:40,970 Native heritage in the Bay area and the destruction of their shell mounds. 74 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:42,700 Corrina's objective is to protect these. 75 00:04:42,709 --> 00:04:45,179 Grounds by gaining federal recognition for active. 76 00:04:45,190 --> 00:04:48,967 Ohlone tribes and protecting the Berkeley Shell mound is one of her priorities. 77 00:04:48,976 --> 00:04:52,717 In March of this year, the IPOC proposed an alternate design for the lot, 78 00:04:52,726 --> 00:04:55,147 A park with a 40 ft high mound that would provide. 79 00:04:55,157 --> 00:04:58,096 As both a cultural monument and a space for preservation. 80 00:04:58,106 --> 00:04:59,796 But there is another side to the issue. 81 00:04:59,867 --> 00:05:00,717 Andrew Galvin. 82 00:05:00,726 --> 00:05:02,677 The Ohlone representative who is overseeing. 83 00:05:02,687 --> 00:05:05,937 The construction of 1904th Street has voiced his support. 84 00:05:05,946 --> 00:05:08,016 For the project saying that the parking lot. 85 00:05:08,027 --> 00:05:10,356 Was mistakenly landmarked in the first place. 86 00:05:10,367 --> 00:05:12,957 And as studies have shown he may not be wrong. 87 00:05:13,623 --> 00:05:17,294 That the project promises 135 new homes for Berkeley residents. 88 00:05:17,303 --> 00:05:20,614 10% of which will be designated for low income families. 89 00:05:20,623 --> 00:05:22,493 It is hard to say that preserving the lot. 90 00:05:22,503 --> 00:05:24,954 Based on outdated information is really worth it. 91 00:05:24,963 --> 00:05:28,093 Especially in Berkeley's current housing market at the moment. 92 00:05:28,104 --> 00:05:31,533 The future is uncertain for city planners and the IPOC. 93 00:05:31,544 --> 00:05:33,813 But it's important for students like us to learn more. 94 00:05:33,824 --> 00:05:36,213 About what's happening in our city to stay informed. 95 00:05:36,223 --> 00:05:37,614 What are your thoughts on this? 96 00:05:37,623 --> 00:05:39,053 Do you think that the investors have a right. 97 00:05:39,131 --> 00:05:40,971 To build on the site if it wasn't actually. 98 00:05:40,980 --> 00:05:42,651 The shell mound or do you think that the culture. 99 00:05:42,661 --> 00:05:45,110 Of Berkeley is threatened by city projects like this? 100 00:05:45,121 --> 00:05:47,191 Let us know what you think in the comments below. 101 00:05:47,300 --> 00:05:49,430 If you want to find out more about the Berkeley Shell mound. 102 00:05:49,441 --> 00:05:53,091 And the 1904th Street project check out our links in the description. 103 00:05:53,101 --> 00:05:56,540 A very special thanks to the cinematographers who helped me film this video. 104 00:05:56,550 --> 00:05:59,501 Tap or click here and here for more news and entertainment from CAL TV. 105 00:05:59,510 --> 00:06:03,661 Be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media. My name is Jada Cruz. 106 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:04,751 Thank you for watching.