In the late fifties, the U.S. government promised Native Americans good jobs and stable housing if they left reservations for urban centers, including Oakland. Those promises were never realized. But something else happened, too. Instead of assimilating into cities like the federal government wanted, native people built solidarity, preserved traditions, and continued to create culture — both within their communities and between other indigenous ones. One of the ways that solidarity takes shape is at Oakland’s Indigenous Red Market, which happens on the first Sunday of every month in Fruitvale.
Guest: Marisol Medina-Cadena, Reporter for KQED News
You can read more of Marisol’s story on the Indigenous Red Market here, and check out more info about the market on their Facebook page.
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