If you have seen the Miwok dwelling at the Lafayette Community Garden, you should know that the tules come from the Dow Wetlands. These tules were cut and harvested over the past few months with the help of the wonderful volunteers who maintain the Wetlands and conduct tours for visitors. The Wetlands are in Antioch and are teaming with birds, river otters, turtles and beaver.
Who can identify this fellow below?
A vision held by many members of the Lafayette Community Garden has nearly reached completion with just a few details left. Now stands a Native American dwelling at the garden site, carrying with it the awareness that Native American Saclans, (a tribelet of the Miwoks), lived rich lives along the riparian, or stream, environments in the Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Hayward, and surrounding areas.
Absolutely integral to bringing forth this dream has been the help from the volunteer team at the Dow Wetlands Preserve, headed by Krist Jensen, who regularly cut and clear overgrowth of tule and cattail reeds from the Preserve’s Wetlands, making these available, upon request, to build just such a dwelling, using the very materials the indigenous of our area used.
This generous relationship with Krist’s team echoes the interconnectedness of villagers with each other and with nature that was the core of the indigenous experience…one of gratitude for the gifts of all and of nature, honoring and never taking/using more than what was needed, all hallowed in the reciprocity of appreciation, song, dance, and ceremony.
So with this, we say thank you to Krist and his men, and add, “May your road rise up to meet you” in all of your endeavors.
The Miwok Dwelling Team and Lafayette Community Garden