The California Valley Miwok Tribe (located at 10601 N. Escondido PL, Stockton, CA, as listed in the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ BIA/DOI Spring 2011 Tribal Leaders Directory), a federally recognized tribe eligible to receive and distribute services from the federal government – on Sunday, April 1st, 2012, received a surprise visit from a dear friend and ardent supporter of the California Valley Miwok Tribe, Mr. Aries Rivers Yumul. Mr. Yumul is currently the chairman of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Native American Student Alliance.
Mr. Yumul was instrumental in initiating for the Tribe the full support of the undergraduate student body throughout the entire State University system in California. He, along with fellow concerned UCSD faculty/students Joseph Ramirez, Matt Vu and Ernest Ciballos, came to this tribe’s aid in one of its darkest hours in defense of justice and tribal sovereignty, making many aware of the Tribe’s plight. Mr. Yumul, traveling through this area recently with traveling companion Ms. Olushade Unger (whom herself is also very active in local causes and is a community organizer), decided to stop by for a surprise visit and to be updated on the very different direction in which the Tribe’s destiny has taken.
The justice that the Tribe has received during the current administration will never be taken for granted by its members, for there was once a time of such injustice and purposeful misrepresentation of the facts, that no one could have foreseen that an administration would have such strong leadership and be staffed by people of such high moral fiber and a clear understanding of the definition of federal Indian law, that they would right all of the previous wrongs and misconceptions wrought against this tribe; but before this time, in the Tribe’s darkest hours, there stood Mr. Aries Rivers Yumul at our side and we are proud to call him friend.
