COURAGE: Ro Khanna leads charge for Muwekma Ohlone reaffirmation, but will threats from the ‘elderly guard’ thwart efforts

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By Staff Reporter

In the halls of Congress, where indigenous rights often clash with entrenched political and economic forces, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) has emerged as a leading champion for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s long-denied federal recognition. Representing Silicon Valley’s 17th District, Khanna has reignited the push for reaffirmation, framing it as a moral imperative to correct centuries of bureaucratic erasure. But his efforts come amid fierce pushback from California’s Democratic old guard and powerful gaming tribes wary of new competition in the lucrative casino market.

The Muwekma Ohlone, original stewards of the San Francisco Bay Area’s lands—including the Presidio and vast swaths of what is now Silicon Valley—lost their federal status due to a 1927 administrative oversight, never formally terminated by Congress. For decades, the tribe has petitioned for restoration, citing their continuous existence and historical acknowledgment as the Verona Band of Alameda County. Khanna, who issued a congressional citation recognizing the tribe during Native American Heritage Month in 2019, has deep ties to the issue.

In 2022, he publicly backed Rep. Anna Eshoo‘s effort to reaffirm their status, joining forces with Reps. Eric Swalwell and others to build momentum.

In a striking call to action in 2024, he urged Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to expedite the tribe’s restoration, emphasizing the Biden administration’s unfinished business on indigenous justice. “The Muwekma Ohlone’s story is one of resilience against colonial erasure,” Khanna stated in a recent district briefing, vowing to introduce companion legislation if administrative paths stall.

This comes as student activists from San Jose nonprofits and Bellarmine College rally behind the cause. These young organizers, many alumni of Khanna’s district schools, highlight how federal recognition would unlock access to health care, education, and cultural preservation—rights denied since the early 20th century.

Yet Khanna’s leadership tests the fault lines within California’s Democratic delegation. The “old guard”—figures like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Zoe Lofgren—has historically conditioned support on limiting the tribe’s gaming rights, fearing economic ripple effects from a potential Bay Area casino.

In March 2025, the Muwekma directly petitioned President Donald Trump for Presidio stewardship, lambasting Pelosi and the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein for past obstructions influenced by casino lobbies. A 2023 letter signed by Khanna, Lofgren, Eshoo, Swalwell, and Rep. Jimmy Panetta expressed “concerns” over the tribe’s gaming ambitions, stalling progress. Critics, including tribal Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh, accuse these incumbents of prioritizing donor interests over justice, with Lofgren’s office even leaking smears to media outlets backed by cardroom operators.

The gaming interests at play are no small foe. Established tribes like the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians and the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which operate multimillion-dollar resorts, view Muwekma’s potential entry as a direct threat to their monopolies under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. These groups have funneled millions into California politics, backing opponents and funding anti-recognition campaigns disguised as “fake news” sites.

Pechanga Tribal Chairman Mark Maccaro has waged a crusade against unrecognized Tribes that have been struggling to affirm their federal status. He spends millions each year thwarting tribal recognition efforts. Upon being elected President of the National Congress of American Indians, his first official act was to introduce a Resolution that would ban unrecognized tribes from participating in the organization — which was founded in 1944 to protect Indian sovereignty.

In June 2025, the Santa Clara County’s Republican Committee and its nominee for Congress broke ranks to endorse the Muwekma, shaming Democrats for their “selective” progressivism. When the tribe’s “Trail of Truth” horseback pilgrimage faced police brutality in D.C. last fall, Khanna publicly decried the violence, drawing parallels to broader fights against colonial legacies.

Khanna’s stance isn’t without risks. Past recordings captured him in tense exchanges with Nijmeh, where he questioned the tribe’s colonial narrative—prompting accusations of condescension. Yet in recent months, as the tribe praised his boldness on Palestine while gently prodding for similar vigor at home, Khanna has responded by amplifying student-led calls and pledging to “restore what was unjustly taken.” With midterms on the horizon and Trump’s unexpected overtures to the tribe adding bipartisan intrigue, Khanna’s charge could tip the scales.

For the Muwekma, Khanna’s fight symbolizes hope amid betrayal.

As Nijmeh told supporters last month, “Recognition isn’t a gift—it’s an acknowledgement of our very existence. We know we are sovereign. This is about the federal government realizing it, too.”

In a state built on stolen land, genocide, gold, and natural resources, Khanna’s ability to outmaneuver the old guard and gaming giants seems less daunting than the perils of history already endured by the Tribe.

Still, it takes courage.