Decolonize Oakland: Creating a More Radical Movement - Occupy Oakland

Decolonize Oakland: Creating a More Radical Movement - Occupy Oakland Oakland is the ancestral homeland of the Chochenyo Ohlone, an indigenous community that has no collective territory of their own and no recognized legal status or rights. As detailed in The Memorandum of Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, which the General Assembly passed with 97% support on 28 October 2011, the Chochenyo Ohlone have survived a brutal colonial history and ongoing occupation, which makes them strong members, allies, leaders, and guides to the movement of the 99%. In passing that memorandum of solidarity, we “declared that ‘Occupy Oakland’ aspires to ‘Decolonize Oakland’ – to ‘Decolonize Wall Street’ – with the guidance and participation of indigenous peoples.” Let us honor that memorandum and work in meaningful solidarity to “initiate a new era of peace and cooperation that will work for everyone, including the Earth and the original inhabitants of thisland.” Let us heed the encouragement of our native sisters and brothers, elders and youth, to choose a name that reflects the society and culture we plan to build: Decolonize Oakland.



As members of the 99%, we want to spread our message, swell our ranks, and use political language that is inclusive of our many communities. We want to open our movement to even greater participation. For many of us, including our local native communities, the terms ‘occupy’ and ‘occupation’ echo our experiences under colonial domination and normalizes the military occupations that the U.S. is supporting in places such as Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan. Colonization, occupation, segregation are still active forms of violence in our communities. Our neighborhoods exist under a police occupation. Gentrification, which is pricing poor families out of their homes, is colonization under a new name. Segregation continues in education, as wealthier families send their children to private schools while our public schools suffer and shrink.



This name change is not about words but about deeds. At the now dismantled Ogawa/Grant encampment, we created a home for all, providing food for the hungry, medical treatment for the sick and injured, and counseling for those of us suffering from depression, addiction, and fear. We offered workshops on preventing foreclosures, resisting police violence, and organizing against corporate capitalism. We hosted healing circles and talking circles. All of our efforts were geared at actualizing gender, economic, and racial justice. We will continue this work whether or not we rebuild the encampment. In both words and deeds, we have been practicing decolonization at Ogawa/Grant Plaza.