We are not Animals-Milpitas Historical Society

The April 9th meeting of the Milpitas Historical Society (in Milpitas Library Auditorium at 7PM) will hear a presentation from the book, We are not Animals, which tells the history of Indigenous people of Santa Cruz and the wider Monterey Bay Area throughout the 19th century. We are not Animals sets out to answer questions regarding who the Indigenous people in the Santa Cruz region were and how they persevered through the 19th century, a time of great violence and change. Between 1770 and 1900 linguistically and culturally diverse Ohlone and Yokuts tribes adapted to and expressed themselves through three distinct colonial encounters with Spain, Mexico, and the United States. We are not Animals traces tribal, familial, and kinship networks through the missions’ chancery registry records to reveal stories of individuals and families and shows how ethnic and tribal differences and politics shaped strategies of resistance and survival within the diverse population taken to Mission Santa Cruz.

The presenter is Martin Rizzo-Martinez, an Assistant Professor in the Film & Digital Media Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research focuses on the history of Indigenous resistance and survival in Santa Cruz County during the 19th century. He has worked closely with Bay Area Indigenous communities, like the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, in his research and collaborative projects. His book has received multiple awards. Among other media projects, he co-produces a podcast entitled Challenging Colonialism.