Shellmound Memorial - Ohlone Memorial Walkway -- Gold Discovered

The discovery of gold in the California foothills drastically changed the colonial presence in the area. A sudden influx of tens of thousands of people to the area created a huge pressure to divide and utilize land that the Ohlone had lived on for thousands of years. The colonists brought with them their systems of ownership and laws, and very quickly the system of government, making California part of the United States. Native American activists are fighting to acquire the land where the West Berkeley shellmound was located. The land is privately owned and currently covered by an asphalt parking lot. The city of Berkeley gave the area historic landmark status in 2000 and has not approved any of the submitted housing proposals.