Chochenyo Park

Published on March 03, 2021

Chochenyo Park is the new name of Alameda’s park formerly known as Jackson

The Alameda City Council voted on January 19, 2021, to rename Alameda’s park formerly known as Jackson to Chochenyo Park, located at Park Avenue and Encinal Avenue. This decision followed a comprehensive community input process that included a diverse, community-led committee, a unanimous vote of the Recreation and Park Commission, and community surveys and engagement

The renaming was the result of a grassroots effort that began in 2018. In 2020, the City Council directed staff to dename this park due to the atrocities committed by its namesake, President Andrew Jackson, who enslaved hundreds of African Americans and was responsible for the forced relocation of Native Americans (now known as the Trail of Tears) from their ancestral lands in the southeast U.S. to Oklahoma, resulting in thousands of deaths from starvation and exposure.  

Chochenyo is the language spoken by the Lisjan Ohlone people, who first lived, and continue to live, on the land that is now known as the San Francisco East Bay. Their unceded territory includes the City of Alameda. 

Parks make life better. They are important public spaces, their names have impacts, and they should represent the values of the community. The new name, Chochenyo Park, represents our community’s growth in working toward more equality including recognizing and building relationships with Indigenous people. The new park sign is on order and will be in place this spring. The art exhibit currently in its place, Creating Our Future, highlights six African American artists and will remain up through April. For additional information, please visit www.alamedaca.gov/rename.