The sign for Children's Fairyland in Oakland was changed on Oct. 10, 2024 in honor of Indigenous People's Day and the native land where the park is located.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Children's Fairyland sign in Oakland is changing its sign name to honor the native land on which it sits.
The words "Ohlone Land" will be displayed on Fairyland Hill from Thursday until the end of the year in honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day and to celebrate the upcoming Native American Heritage Month, Fairyland officials said.
The new sign was created in collaboration with Children's Fairyland, the Sogorea Te' Land Trust, and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, officials said.
"We are proud to deepen our relationship with the Sogorea Te' Land Trust and the Lisjan Nation, and add a new meaning to a beloved Oakland symbol," Kymberly Miller, the executive director of Children’s Fairyland, said in a statement. "This is more than just a sign. We are celebrating the land, uplifting the voices and living history of the Ohlone people, bringing stories to life at the park, and inviting every visitor to connect with the cultural heritage of the Lisjan Nation."
Corrina Gould, tribal chairperson Lisjan Nation and Sogorea Te’ Land Trust co-founder, said that altering the sign gives more visibility to the area's original people and amplifies the Ohlone presence in Oakland.
Ohlone is a term that refers to Indigenous people from different tribes across eight regions of the greater Bay Area, each with its own languages and origins stories.
Oakland is in the ancestral territory of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation, one of the Bay Area tribes that includes descendants of Ohlone people that were taken into Mission Dolores and Mission San Jose.
Fairyland officials said the new sign marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration between the children's theme park and Sogorea Te' Land Trust, and there are plans to share access to the park with Indigenous communities.