Recognition and Reconciliation

In September 2020, UC Law SF completed a three-year project to examine founder Serranus Clinton Hastings’ involvement in mass killings of Native Americans in California’s Eden and Round valleys during the mid-19th century and to determine how best to address the legacy of the Hastings name with meaningful action. The College also began to build a direct relationship with the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Yuki people (also known as the Witukomno’m People of Eden Valley and Round Valley and Powe’ N’om), the descendants of those most affected by the actions of Serranus Hastings, and with affiliated groups including the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council (see “The Yuki People and the Legacy of Serranus Hastings“).

In a report delivered to the UC Law SF Board of Directors on September 11, 2020, Chancellor and Dean David Faigman wrote, “The plan I propose responds to past crimes by acknowledging truth, honoring the memory of the victims, uplifting their descendants, and building bridges where none existed before. We have already begun a dialogue with the Yuki people—the tribe most directly targeted by Serranus Hastings and his agents—in an effort to define opportunities for collaboration, growth, understanding, and friendship. The path forward outlined here permits the College to confront its past and pursue a future that is consistent with our mission and ideals of public service.”

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