City Council Passes Resolution In Support Of The Amah Mutsun

From the City of Santa Cruz:

February 12, 2020

At the February 11, 2020, Council meeting, the Santa Cruz City Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting the efforts of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band to preserve Sargent Ranch/Juristac as open space in perpetuity and to regain access to their cultural and spiritual sites at Juristac.

The Council action was in response to the Debt Acquisition Company of America’s proposal to develop on the sacred territories of the Amah Mutsun community. The proposed Sargent Quarry Project seeks to impact 320 acres of this land by developing a 14-acre processing plant, 200-foot open pit quarry site, a 1.6 mile long conveyor belt, and a 30 foot wide access road.

The resolution was co-authored by Mayor Cummings, Councilmember Chris Krohn, and Councilmember Drew Glover. It recognizes, acknowledges, commends, and fully supports the Amah-Mutsun Tribal Band in their commitment to oppose the Sargent Quarry Project on the sacred lands of Juristac.

The Amah-Mutsun Tribal Band of Ohlone/Costanoan (Amah Mutsun Tribal Band) Indians of Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco Counties are among the surviving aboriginal Native American lineages of this region and have demonstrated their cultural heritage, Native American identity, and tribal continuity through maintaining a rich oral history.

Juristac is a territory that covers the southern hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, above the Pajaro and San Benito Rivers. This territory has been a spiritual ground where the Amah Mutsun people gather to heal as a community and to celebrate sacred ceremonies.

This press release was produced by the City of Santa Cruz. The views expressed here are the author’s own.