“We have only one earth. Let’s take care of it.”    Deb Haaland, U.S. Secretary of the Interior and member, Laguna Pueblo Tribe, New Mexico

As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month this November, Secretary Haaland’s words remind us that, for centuries, indigenous people in the Americas lived in harmony with the earth.

Here in the greater Bay Area, home to the educational tall ships sailed by Call of the Sea, we recognize the Coast Miwok People as the original stewards of the lands and waters of Marin. We acknowledge that the 18th and 19th Century arrival of others, many of whom came by ship, brought extreme hardship to the native population.

One notable Coast Miwok leader who left a lasting mark is Huicmuse, named “Marino” by missionaries, and called “Marin” by soldiers who commandeered him to guide expeditions. He was a skilled boatman, escaping twice from captivity, and died in 1839 at Mission San Rafael. His tragic story, and that of the Coast Miwok people who endured cataclysmic change with the arrival of the Spanish, is told in anthropologist Betty Goertke’s fascinating book, Chief Marin, Leader, Rebel, and Legend. A history of Marin County’s namesake and his people. (Heyday Books, 2007).

We respect and honor the enduring relationship that exists between today’s Coast Miwok and their traditional environment. When you come aboard our ships at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Sausalito, stop inside the Bay Model Visitor Center to see the tule canoe replica, pictured here.

You might ask, “Is it possible that the Coast Miwok people came to these shores by canoe, centuries before European contact? Some Coast Miwok descendants believe this may be so.     Read about this here

“Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, It was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.”    – Native American Proverb

We hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving Day and Native American Heritage Day on the friday after Thanksgiving,

Steven Woodside

Call of the Sea Board member (volunteer)