November 12, 2025
The stories of the Patwin people are rooted in the land across Solano County and throughout our ancestral territory.
They can be seen in our ancestral landscape, filled with the plants, wildlife and natural landmarks that define this region. From Sonoma Valley in the west to the Sacramento River in the east, and from the headwaters of Cache Creek in the north to San Pablo Bay in the south, every step you take in this area is on Patwin ancestral land. If you pause and look closely, you can still get a glimpse of how our ancestors lived.
Our land was once rich with native plants and animals: tule elk and antelope grazed in the valleys, salmon ran in the rivers, and oak groves spread across the grasslands. Our ancestors lived sustainably – hunting, fishing, and gathering acorns, clover, wild oats,
manzanita berries and other foods they cultivated and tended with respect. Our history and identity as a people are inseparable from this land. The land and the people are one. Losing our lands is like losing a part of ourselves. And caring for the land is not only our responsibility; it is an honor handed down from our ancestors.
Across Solano County, there are many cultural and sacred sites of critical importance to our people. Time and again, we have stood up to protect these places – blocking bulldozers, organizing community rallies and pursuing justice to ensure our history is preserved and respected.
Take, for example, Glen Cove Waterfront Park. The development of this pristine natural waterfront park on the shore of the San Pablo Bay sparked controversy in 2011 because it was likely to disturb the sacred cultural resources buried there. Alongside our sister Patwin tribe, the Kletsel Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, we forged an unprecedented cultural easement with the city of Vallejo, the first of its kind in the nation.
This agreement ensures that ancestral remains and sacred sites are permanently protected while allowing us to hold ceremonies and care for the land in accordance with our traditions. Glen Cove now stands as an example of how true partnership can honor both cultural preservation and community access.
Yet our voices are not always heard. Today, we are once again called to defend our ancestral homelands in Vallejo – this time against a $700 million casino development that threatens to destroy a sacred Patwin cultural site.
Despite clear evidence about our ancestral ties and the land’s cultural significance, the project’s developers have disregarded our concerns and excluded Vallejo residents from any meaningful role in the decision-making process. There are no long-term plans to address how this development would strain the city’s already overburdened electrical grid, worsen traffic congestion or impact police and emergency response times across the broader community.
In addition, several environmental groups have raised alarms about the harm this development would cause to native plants and wildlife. They have also criticized the environmental review as deeply insufficient for a project of this scale.
Local residents and Tribal Nations deserved greater transparency and involvement in this decision-making process. Now, the federal government must acknowledge the clear and conclusive evidence that Vallejo is Patwin ancestral territory. This project represents an unlawful and deeply harmful attempt to seize and desecrate sacred land. We call on federal officials to stop this land grab – and to protect what remains of a heritage that cannot be replaced.
Our land is our history. But it is also our future. Protecting it is how we honor our ancestors – and how we fulfill our duty to the generations yet to come.
Anthony Roberts is chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and Leland Kinter is the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation treasurer. The column was submitted in acknowledgement of November as Native American Heritage Month.