I think it is an important first step towards healing.
March 18,
2014
Ted
Hernandez, Tribal Chair
Wiyot
Tribe
1000
Wiyot Drive
Loleta,
CA 95551
Dear
Members of the Wiyot Tribe:
In
February 1860, 154 years ago, citizens from Eureka participated in what has
been described as a massacre of unfathomable proportions. On that winter night long ago, the Wiyot
people of Humboldt Bay were attacked.
That incident resulted in the death of scores of mostly women and
children on the tribal island in Humboldt Bay.
Worse yet, this attack occurred during the Wiyot Renewal Ceremony to
bring healing to the Earth. The ceremony
was never finished.
Today
the people of Eureka are pleased to see the World Renewal Ceremony, that was
cut short in 1860, will at last be finished.
The ceremony will take place on island land deeded to the Wiyot people
in 2004.
As
Mayor of Eureka, on behalf of the City Council and the people of Eureka, we
would like to offer a formal apology to the Wiyot people for the actions of our
people in 1860. Nothing we say or do can
make up for what occurred on that night of infamy. It will forever be a scar on our
history. We can, however, with our
present and future actions of support for the Wiyot, work to remove the
prejudice and bigotry that still exists in our society today.
Sincerely,
Frank
J. Jäger
Mayor
CC:
Councilmembers
If Eurekans believe that a token letter of apology without taking legal responsibility is enough to assuage Wiyot memories they need to think again. There are families that benefited from hunting and killing local Native Americans and they're descendants enjoy that reward so where is the justice of that? And there is this huge mystery of how an 80,000 acre or so Eel River Indian Reservation site with an Indian Agent that sat in the heart of the Ferndale area became the huge land holdings of certain still prominent Humboldt pioneer families, also still enjoying the benefits of the massacre period. A big legal can of worms could potentially be opened now as I don't think a letter will go all that far to heal the California Indian War campaign that left descendants of its winners and losers still standing in Humboldt County.
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