By Magaly Muñoz,
Post Staff

On Monday, the Indigenous Peoples Day Festival was held for the fifth consecutive year at the Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. This event was organized in collaboration with the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) to celebrate and honor the traditions and heritage of Native Americans.

Art exhibits, music performances and vendor stalls were set up at the garden’s public park and cultural space on Monday afternoon with many people stopping by to purchase items or watch the cultural events.

Among the performers was a Mexican native group called Grupo de los Wawas del Centro Ceremonial de Tajín hailing from Veracruz, Mexico. The group belongs to the Totonaco Nation, which is primarily based in east-central Mexico.

Group leader Vidal Perez has been performing a traditional dance called “Danza de Voladores” and one called “Danza de Wawa” for over 30 years. This dance has been passed down through several generations of men in his family.

“We do this dance to celebrate Mother Earth, so that she brings rain, a plentiful harvest and good energy,” Perez said.

He said that they tour all over California, performing for a few weeks before heading back to Mexico to continue expressing their culture through dance. He pointed out that they come to events like this because it allows both Native American and Mexican groups to recognize and celebrate the resilience of communities that strive to preserve their cultural heritage despite enduring a long history of colonization.

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“We want people to remember that there are still old customs and cultures to learn about. No matter where we live, the point is to acknowledge where we came from,” Perez said.

Cristina Ibarra, a Yerba Buena Gardens employee who is co-organizer for the event, said that this festival is her favorite one to put on each year. She said working with all the vendors and performers has been the best experience, likening it to being in the company of family.

“It’s so beautiful to see all the families, especially the elders and the kids, celebrating their culture,” Ibarra said. “We do probably 150 events every year and this is still one of my favorites.”

Ibarra stated that this year’s festival has seen the biggest turnout since its inception. She affirmed that they’ll continue to host this event in the future as a platform to “uplift Indigenous Peoples voices.”

In 2018, San Francisco made the decision to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day as a means of acknowledging and addressing the historical violence and discrimination faced by Native Americans in the U.S.

Andrea Carmen, the executive director of the IITC since the ’90s, said every city and county on this side of the hemisphere should consider revising this date on their local calendars. Instead of honoring Christopher Columbus, Carmen suggested to celebrate the people impacted by the explorer’s arrival.

“We’re celebrating our survival, the resiliency and strength of our cultures that still exist. We’re honoring our ancestors that sacrificed unbelievable amounts of suffering so that we could have these ways, the dances, the language,” Carmen said.

Carmen observed that it’s been over 500 years since colonization began in the Americas. She stressed that the IITC is committed to preserving their history and teaching it to those who are willing to learn.

She said it’s important for non-Natives to know that there is an ongoing struggle to revitalize languages, reclaim stolen land and preserve tareas that once belonged to Natives. She added that despite the horrors that Natives have endured, they’re still standing.

“We’re still here, our culture is still strong, and the amazing thing to me is that we’re still willing to share it with those very descendants of the ones that carried these things [colonization] out,” Carmen said.

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Mayor Breed and city officials traveled across the Bay by ferry on what will be new regular service between the San Francisco Ferry Building and Treasure Island come January.

The two decades in the making project on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island has seen massive strides recently in housing, transportation and infrastructure development.

“It’s amazing to see what this place is going to become for people and how this place is really going to begin to come alive again,” said Mayor Breed.

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The Treasure Island Ferry Terminal was just completed this summer.

Other infrastructure improvements include new roads and pathways, water and power facilities and public parks.

Parts of Treasure Island are raised three feet for sea level protection. Geotechnical work has strengthened its foundation and ensured its seismic resiliency.

Eventually, there will be 8,000 new homes with more than 2,000 designated for affordable housing.

The first new homes to be build on Treasure Island are a 105-unit, 100-percent affordable housing complex for formerly and currently homeless veterans.

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“This is a former military base and so to have the first project honor those who have served means a lot,” said Sherry Williams, One Treasure Island Executive Director.

“We’re so pleased that shows the city’s commitment to making this a place for everyone,” said Chris Meany, Treasure Island Community Development.

At build-out, Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island will boast stores, restaurants, offices and 300 acres of new parks.

The approximately $6 billion dollar project is expected to create 2,000 union construction jobs and 3,000 permanent jobs.

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Aerial view of Yerba Buena Island, with San Francisco in the background

Hayes Davidson

Yerba Buena Island is a dramatic and historical part of the City by the Bay. An army camp was set up here in 1868, which in 1875 led to the construction of a still-preserved octagonal lighthouse. Over the years it has been called Sea Bird Island, Wood Island, and Goat Island, but in 1931 it was restored to its original Spanish name. The Yerba Buena Tunnel runs through its center and connects the western and eastern sections of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

Now, after decades of transition and struggle, the island is home to some of the most dramatic and beautiful residential areas in the world spread over 72 acres. Aptly named Hilltop Park crowns the summit of the island and was designed by landscape and public artist Walter Hood, who received the MacArthur Genius Grant in 2019. There are also five miles of wooded, winding dirt and gravel walking trails, as well as a sheltered sandy beach called Clipper Cove.

The island of Yerba Buena remained in military hands until the 20th century. The Works Progress Administration created the adjacent 403 acre Treasure Island in the 1930s. It was supposed to be the San Francisco airport and for a time served as the departure and landing area for Pan Am’s China Clipper. In 1996 the military base was shut down and both Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island became the responsibility of the City of San Francisco.

“When Treasure Island became a naval base, officials lived on Yerba Buena Island,” said Chris Meany, partner at Wilson Meany, a San Francisco-based boutique developer who is building 266 residences on the island with the Stockbridge Capital Group .

“Treasure Island is artificially created and therefore flat like a pancake. The island of Yerba Buena, on the other hand, is a natural island with scenic beauty and steep hills. 70% of the island is restored natural habitats. From here, homeowners have some of the most beautiful views in the world in every direction. “

The Bristol, a six-story condominium building, has 124 condos on offer, ranging from a low $ 800,000 for studios to a low $ 3 million for three-bedroom units. The additional apartments include townhouses starting at $ 3 million and the apartments that offer LEED-certified single-story luxury residences starting at $ 3.9 million.

The apartments on the island of Yerba Buena, boutique buildings each with one-story residential buildings … [+] which are served by a private elevator that leads directly into the house.

Hayes Davidson

“We are very proud to officially launch sales on Yerba Buena Island at a time when ethos and lifestyle are so important,” said Mike Leipart, managing partner of Agency Development Group, who is responsible for marketing and sales for Yerba Buena Iceland monitors. “Owning a home on Yerba Buena Island is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to step into a unique, special setting from the ground up. The residents will create the first of their kind neighbors who value connectivity, a holistic and wellness lifestyle and an appreciation for natural surroundings. The residential collections in particular are diverse – from spacious single-family row houses to luxurious condominiums with numerous amenities – so that families, couples and singles can find a home that meets their needs and wants. Yerba Buena Island is San Francisco and lives at its best. ”

It wasn’t easy to come here. In San Francisco, the tension between non-growth advocates and the need for housing is particularly high.

“In the 1990s the city of San Francisco decided it needed housing, but the anti-development mood is strong in beautiful places like this,” Meany says. “By the time we got final approval, we had held 450 public sessions and had been sued by non-growth advocates for three years.

“This process is now behind us. We installed new infrastructure on the island, including new in and out ramps to the Bay Bridge and better power that was brought underwater from the city. A year ago we started construction of the Bristol Condo Building. People will move to the island at the end of January. “

Infrastructure improvements include a new ferry service between the Ferry Building in San Francisco and Yerba Buena Island. The ferry ride takes eight minutes and is a rare bargain at $ 2.

“Yerba Buena Island was closed to the public for many years,” says Meany. “Now it’s becoming a public resource: people can bike to the island and spend the day hiking, picnicking, and gorgeous views.”

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