The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, which has deep historical ties to Gilroy and San Benito County, has forged an agreement with the Sempervirens Fund to work together to protect the natural and cultural resources of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
A new development in the twisted saga for the battle over Sargent Ranch - vast expanse of undulating hills, pristine streams, unsullied wildlife habitats and unincorporated farmland just south of Gilroy - popped up last week in a Santa Cruz Sentinel legal notice alerting the public to a foreclosure auction slated later this month.
A “big event” for the Amah-Mutsun Tribal Band took place inside the San Juan Bautista City Hall Tuesday night, when roughly 20 members drove from surrounding cities to witness the issuing of a formal proclamation recognizing the current-day tribe as “the historic and continuous Amah-Mutsun Ohlone Tribe that existed before Spanish contact.”
When sightseers tour the centuries-old Spanish mission tucked off Highway 1 in Carmel-by-the-Sea, it’s likely they’ll admire the red-tiled roofs, the chapel’s aesthetic facade, the prominent dome bell tower, the exquisite gardens or the vast collection of liturgical art.