About
A Path Forward: Honoring Ohlone Land & Spirit is a living monument and permanent pathway within Montalvo’s 175-acre park, featuring an augmented reality (AR) experience created to honor Ohlone lands through shared ancestral wisdom, elevating local Ohlone voices and Indigenous knowledge while enlightening visitors about forest stewardship, land management, and environmental kinship in the natural ecosystems of Santa Clara County.
A Path Forward is a partnership of the Santa Clara County Parks, the Confederation of Ohlone People, and Montalvo Arts Center. This work was made possible through a National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Award and the California Arts Council Impact Projects Award, and the generous contributions of the George and Judy Marcus Family Foundation and the Jo and Barry Ariko Fund for Artistic Programs. Additional support was provided by Kinfolk and The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza.
The creative team for this project is: Charlene Eigen-Vasquez, Marcus Curatorial Fellow Olivia Esparza, Francisco Graciano, Jesus Rodriguez, and Rubén Darío Villa.
This work was created with the support of the 2024 Inaugural Lucas Artists Program Marcus Commissioning Prize.
Download the App
To fully experience A Path Forward, you will need to download the Kinfolk app onto your phone. We recommend downloading the app before your visit to Montalvo, so that you are ready to go as soon as you see the work. NOTE: The button below will only work on mobile devices.
Instructions:
- Open the Kinfolk app.
- Select the Scan mode from the bottom left:
- Tap the green scan button.
- Point your camera at the icon on the sign.
- Your Augmented Reality experience will begin!
Family Guide & Map
Download our printable Family Guide & Map to enjoy A Path Forward with your family when you visit.
Points on the Path
hinne emhe / Walking Gently
📍Grove of Generosity
Walking gently is a way of life that was handed down from our ancestors. In walking gently we connect to all that we hear, see, smell and feel deep in our bodies.
Charlene Eigen-Vasquez, 2024
Walking gently is more than a tip-toe through the grass,
Or a silent walk through the woods
Walking gently is a way of life that was handed down from our ancestors
Walking gently is a way of life that is meant to humble human relatives
Walking gently is a way of life that will guide our Spirit
The first step,
Consider that all living beings are related
If all living beings are related, we treat each other with respect
Also imagine that no living being is more important than another,
If all living beings are equal, the human is no more important than the tiniest insect
The human is no more important than the water that runs through the creek
The human is no more important than the wind that blows past our body
We are all full of Spirit, we are all equal, we are all related
Walking gently is your chance to recognize the Spirit and the energy of our relatives who live in the natural world
As you walk gently, listen deeply to the sounds above and near you, what do you hear?
Do you hear any animal relatives?
Are the trees speaking to you?
Is the water singing a song?
As you walk gently, what are the sensations you feel on your body?
Do you feel the warmth of the sun?
Do you feel a sprinkle of rain?
Do you feel a cool breeze welcoming you to all that is outdoors?
As you walk gently, what do you feel touching your body?
Is a branch scratching against you?
Are rocks poking through your shoes?
As you walk gently, what are the aromas along your path?
Do these aromas invite you to turn your head?
Do these aromas make you smile?
Do these aromas offer a warning of something to be aware of?
As you can tell, when we walk gently, we use more than our eyes to build a relationship with special places.
When we walk quietly, we become deeply familiar with the places we love.
When we walk quietly, we notice how small we become as compared to our surroundings.
When we pay attention, we can tell when something is wrong with our relatives in the natural world.
The Spirit of the Ohlone People invites YOU to walk gently.
sii TiT / Water
📍Wildcat Creek Viewpoint
All living beings are water containers, where there is water, there is life.
Charlene Eigen-Vasquez, 2024
I Am Water
Kan ammani
Kan kalle
Kan soro mii
Kan sii
(Repeat 4x)
Ho
Not Forgotten
Ekwe-kat makamse
Ekwe-kat makamse
Ekwe-kat makamse
Ekwe-kat makamse
Monsem ka-na-nis
Monsem ka-na-nis
Ho
hutya wuuTati / Forest Relative
📍Switchback Trail
There’s so much opportunity for us to step back and rethink our relationship with the land, and it’s so needed right now.
Justin Garland, 2021
Our ancestors were scientists. They studied Mother Earth for 12,000 even 15,000 years, and probably much more than that. And if you think of that, in terms of generations, you know, that’s 1200-1500 generations or more. They studied Mother Earth and how to take care of it.
huuyis hiswin, humuunya moySen / Ohlone Region Hummingbird Creation Story
📍Great Lawn
Because we honor our mother as the creator of life, we honor humuunya (hummingbird). She represents the beginning of new life in the Ohlone creation story. This beautiful one, her name is HiS’ase LaLuk (H-ee-sh-ah-say Lahl L-ew-k).
Charlene Eigen-Vasquez, 2024
A long time ago, before the world that we have today, there was a storm that flooded all of the lands.
At the end of the storm there was a piece of land that was peeking out of the water and it created a mountain top.
On top of this peak was a coyote. Coyote was wailing and crying. One day he saw a feather floating in the water. He went to grab the feather, and as he began to pull it out of the water, the feather began to turn into an eagle. As the eagle appeared, he began spreading its wings. At the same time, some of the water covered land began to appear.
So at the top of the hill Coyote and Eagle had a talk. Eagle said to Coyote, “I heard you praying. What’s the matter? What seems to be the problem?”
Coyote tells Eagle, “Well, I’m here alone and I don’t see any of the people. I don’t know where the people went. Without people in this world, it’s not balanced and it can no longer exist.”
Then Eagle tells Coyote, “Well, some land that has just returned from the flood, we should go check it out, and see if any of the villages survived the flood. Maybe there are people.”
So Coyote told Eagle, “You have two wings, and you can fly. You can probably get to the new dry land quicker than I can.” Eagle says, “This is true, but you have four legs, and that’s more than my two wings. So you could probably run to dry land quicker than I can.”
So Coyote agrees to run down the hill, and explore the village sites. He discovers that where there were people, the land was now bare. Not only were there no people, the villages were gone too!
Coyote goes back up to the mountain to report to Eagle.
Eagle asks Coyote, “What did you see?” Coyote tells Eagle, “I went to the villages and there’s nothing. There is not a trace of life. There are no people and the villages are gone. We need people in this world in order for it to be in balance. What shall we do?”
Eagle thinks for a minute and then says, “Coyote I’m gonna make a call and when I do, I need you to grab a tick. We’re gonna create new people.”
And so Coyote says, “Well, how is this gonna happen? Do I pull it off my nose? My shoulder? My ear?”
Eagle says, “Just grab a tick and I will make this call.” So Coyote scratches and digs around his body for a tick in his fur. As he’s doing this, Eagle makes a loud bird screech to his friend.
And as they’re waiting for a response, they could hear a song off in the distance.
(Humaya song)
The song gets louder as Hummingbird approaches. When she arrives, Eagle tells Hummingbird that the world has changed—that there’s no longer people in this world and we need to bring them back.
Coyote is here mourning for the people and needs our help. You have been invited here to bring the people back. It will be a new way of living on Earth. We will be in harmony with this land that has been created.
So Eagle asks Coyote if he has the tick, and he does. Coyote gives Eagle the tick and Eagle tells Hummingbird, “I’m gonna place this tick inside of you and when I do, you’re gonna start to grow. When you know the time is right, you’re gonna lay down some seeds along the land where the water and the sun can feed them. By doing this the people will come.”
So Eagle places the tick inside of Hummingbird. Hummingbirds get really big. She gets so big that her tiny wings would barely allow her to fly. Nevertheless, she manages to fly and she gets to the land where she drops off the seeds. When this happens the world begins to change. The sun and the light come. The seed planting, the warmth and light of the sun, now begin to create new life for new beings.
So the beings are now here and Eagle tells Coyote, “Well, you’re responsible for these people that you have brought into this world. You need to teach them how to be. Teach them what it means to be human on this Earth. It is possible to live without any struggle if they really understand how to hunt, how to collect their herbs and medicines, and how to heal themselves. Teach them how to be gentle and not to waste.”
So Coyote does this. He teaches them everything that he knows.
pattih TiiTimpi awtos / Peace Garden
📍Garden near Parking Lot 2
Here we have a connection that’s not just among individuals of the same species. The tribe now is not just oaks, but it’s oaks amongst the needles and huckleberries that are growing at the same site. I don’t know that there is evidence of signaling of danger through macro rising, but there is a great sharing of resources. The nutrients, the carbohydrates, are shared among plants using this underground interconnected system of microscopic filaments.
Matteo Garbelotto, 2021
Musicians: Justina Palafox, Jose Palafox
caaye hiwhoSigma / Honoring the Ancestors
📍Poets Walk
(No AR component at this time; coming soon)
Tawra sottowe / Living Fire
📍Hiking Trails
(No AR component at this time; coming soon)
Sponsors
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| George & Judy Marcus Family Foundation Jo and Barry Ariko Fund for Artistic Programs |
In Partnership With
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2024 Marcus Exhibition
A Path Forward: Honoring Ohlone Land & Spirit is a featured component of Montalvo’s 2024 Marcus Exhibition. Learn more about this exhibition here:
