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Community

Collaboration with the Me-Wuk Tribe

Me-Wuk tribe members at the graduation tradition.
  • Elizabeth Connely

For over five years the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) Workforce and Economic Program Services (WEPS) team has run a construction pre-apprenticeship training program in the SFPUC’s regional service territory. The program provides seven weeks of general construction training and is organized by the Tuolumne Community Collaborative which is a collective of local community service providers and the SFPUC. The training includes basic understanding of tools and building, job readiness, and certifications in machine operation and health and safety which prepares the participants to enter the construction trades. 

Community involvement and engagement has been a cornerstone to the program to ensure the training provides useful and relevant support to resident of the SFPUC’s regional service territory. One key partnership has been with the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, the original peoples of the land. 

As a first step in establishing a respectful connection, the WEPS team introduced the idea for the training program to Me-Wuk Tribal Council members and asked for the Tribe’s input. Members of the Tribe were then extended invitations to join the Tuolumne Community Collaborative. The engagement of the Me-Wuk has been extremely important in shaping the program as well as spreading the word to community members who have gone on to complete the training. 

To honor the land and the history of the Me-Wuk, WEPS staff have invited the Tribal Cultural Director to open the graduation ceremonies for the construction pre-apprenticeship training with their Land Acknowledgment and a traditional song. The Director and his invitees have attended each of the 11 cohort graduations, increasing the significance and impact of the event and expanding awareness of the Me-Wuk tribe in the area.

WEPS and the SFPUC would like to send a heartfelt thanks to the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians for their continued partnership and contributions to the Tuolumne Community Collaborative. To learn more about the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, visit The Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians – Tuolumne Me-Wuk Tribal Council.