The Chochenyo language is the ancestral language of the Muwekma Ohlone people, the Indigenous people of the San Francisco Bay Area. Colonization and generations of forced assimilation put the language to sleep, but it was never forgotten. Today, learning and speaking Chochenyo helps awaken the sleeping language and reconnect future generations to their heritage.
This course provides an introduction to the language, culture, and history of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people. By learning and speaking Chochenyo, students help carry forward a legacy of resilience and honor the generations who carried the language through immense challenges. Language is more than words—it carries history, identity, knowledge, and the spirit of a people.