Catherine Herrera Photography

For Exhibit. I'd like to thank Val Lopez, and Ed Ketchum, of the Amah Mutsun, for granting me the information that helped trace our roots. 'This series of photographs were inspired by Ohlone Tribal Chair Tony Cerda, and Mike Oliva, who were the first Ohlone community members to invite me, well - really, questioned me, if I was a photographer and filmmaker, why was I not documenting my own tribal community?' I was very grateful for their encouragement, and, really, what I felt was the permission, to document my own community's cultural revival, since I was only just starting to learn my own cultural and family history myself. Many women in the community, like Terry Reynaga, Charlene Sul, Ann Marie Sayers and Corrina Gould, also encouraged me to honor my relatives, and taught me that each film, photograph and installation, like a shell on our necklaces, is a prayer, a contribution to the overall larger Ohlone community, history and revitalization. My entire creative career shifted as a result. It very meaningful to go through the editing process, to go back and see how the work developed as my family history was revealed also over time.' To Patrick Orozco and Rosemary Cambria, for all you sacrificed and gave. Now that I have walked this road a bit, I wanted to share a selection from the body of work that came out of the process. This 'assignment' was much more than an assignment for me, and I reflect on that personal reconciliation process that came from learning and deeply understanding the history of my relatives. Its one thing to read a document, its quite another to actually develop contemporary relationships with people who survived, and today, we are forging new relationships, in honor of our ancestors, and what they went through. Many people - within the community, and outside - have supported my work over these years, and I hope they will feel honored with the result of the support for the creative impulses that merged with ancient callings. After all, I am Homebound by Sea.' After working in Mexico City from 1993-2001, photojournalist Catherine Herrera returned to northern California. The professional journalism field was shifting, and as a single mom, Catherine had to shift her focus too, moving into documentary production. In 20013, Catherine Herrera photographed several articles for San Francisco's 'The Potrero View' while working with private clients to document on assignment. The Northern California Ohlone/Native American Contemporary Life feature series is a collection from the 2001-20014 article. Catherine Herrera exhibits images from the series in collaboration with tribal governments, as well as international and U.S. galleries, cultural centers, museums, and, alternative venues.

December 21, 2012 was the start of the solstice, and after the ceremony, joined friends heading to the #IdleNoMore rally in San Francisco to send energy of support to Chief Theresa Spence who is currently in a hunger strike to obtain an appointment from Mr. Harper. Today is day 13 of Chief Theresa Spence's Hunger Strike and supporters are calling on the government to meet with Chief Spence and deal with the treaty matters equitably.

On Sunday, November 7, 2010, a collaborative honoring ceremony was held in San Francisco's Veterans Memorial Building across from City Hall. Ohlone Chief Tony Cerda and the Humaya Singers and Dancers held an honoring for veterans of all wars, offering the Warriors Medal of Honor to soldiers from today's to yesterday's wars. This is the first year of a four year ceremony. Mary Jean Robertson (Cherokee) and Neil McClean (Scottish/Irish) have worked over eight months to create this event, which was moving for so many people in attendance. The Veterans Honoring is part of the Ohlone Profiles Project.

There are certain breezes that the ocean gives off, a strong rushing wind on a warm sunny day is a gentle reminder of the ocean's power, a rolling fog with the force of gales that sway the towering trees into a melody, a pounding wave repeated until once again calm the ocean. These photos are moments in an afternoon by the ocean. Aug 2012.

On December 22, 2012 - from 3:07-3:15 p.m. San Francisco - an 8-minute window that was nearly 26,000 years in the making arrived, and as more than 20 ancient cultures predicted - none more accurately than the Mayan - still here today sharing their wisdom gathered over thousands of year - the portal of time was a doorway into the Sixth Sun. This series 'Birth of a new Sun at the Western Door' was taken a few minutes later! I pray I convey the same sense of Spirit I was feeling during those beautiful moments. Our Earth truly is a miracle.

Idle No More's first San Francisco public event launched in 2012, that same year, the Climate March in San Francisco was one of the largest and marked an important outcry that Native people be heard and traditional knowledge be respected as a valuable tool in fighting climate change. Idle No More traveled around the world and inspired deeper collaborations between native nations and non-native environmental protectors, including Standing Rock.