Week 7 Blog — New Interview and Rewriting

Hi everyone and welcome to my week 7 blog! This week I made significant progress with my interviews and overall project structure. Most notably, I had an in-depth interview with Dr. Alan Leventhal, an archaeologist and anthropologist who has been closely involved with the Muwekma for over four decades. He shared valuable historical context about the tribe’s struggle for federal recognition, particularly highlighting the political and systemic barriers they have faced. He discussed the damaging impact of being declared essentially “extinct” by Alfred Kroeber, an anthropologist from UC Berkeley, in 1925 and how his later reversal in the 1950s wasn’t enough to undo the initial erasure of the Muwekma. Dr. Leventhal explained the significance of recent archaeological findings that further demonstrate the continuous presence of the Muwekma in the Bay Area, reinforcing their claims to federal recognition.

He also spoke extensively about the complex history of the Presidio land transfer from the military to the Presidio Trust in the early 1990s and the actions of the Presidio Trust and National Park Service, which excluded the Muwekma’s role despite ample evidence of their historical ties to the land. He described these actions as part of a larger “politics of erasure,” noting how the Muwekma have been systematically rendered invisible in public narratives and policy discussions. Our conversation covered the broader historical injustices, including the sealed treaties from the 1850s that granted CA tribes land, and the Muwekma’s repeated struggles against political opposition and misrepresentation, specifically highlighting resistance from figures such as Senator Feinstein.

This week, I also drafted my first two episodes but encountered a roadblock after realizing my initial approach didn’t fully capture the significance of the topic for audiences unfamiliar with it. After meeting with my internal advisor, Mr. Betcher, I decided to restructure the episodes around thematic questions about the Muwekma’s fight for federal recognition, rather than organizing them solely around individual interviews. Writing out and reorganizing my thoughts clarified my vision for each episode and has given me more confidence in presenting this important topic clearly and effectively.

Lastly, I continued refining my progressive outline, making sure each episode and article answers the key questions central to my project. My external advisor’s resources from last week—particularly the bingo card from indigenousjournalists.org—have continued to guide my reporting, reminding me to avoid stereotypes and ensure authentic representation of the tribe’s story. Overall, this has been a productive week, bringing me closer to crafting a comprehensive and impactful series.