100 Plaques Project
100 Plaques aIMS TO RESTORE HIDDEN, Lost, and ignored Stories in California and across America, one plaque at a time.
It starts in Napa Valley which has been continuously inhabited for 10,000.
Why don’t we acknowledge this history? Who were the First Peoples in this land, when did they leave and why? Who else has come through this land and what did they leave behind. It is our belief at Teach Truth that reckoning with this history, honoring our predecessors, is the first step in building resilience and strength in our communities.
The first plaques we researched and designed identify the primary Indigenous groups of Napa Valley - Wappo (Mishewal, Mutistul, Mayakamah) and the Patwin.
We worked directly with the tribes and individual descendants to create imagery and share the story of their people. The First Peoples of Napa Valley plaque was installed at the Napa County Library on Coombs Street, Napa, California. The unveiling event included talks and cultural demonstrations by Tektekh Gabaldon and Desirae Harp of the Mishewal Wappo Tribe.
100 Plaques began with First Peoples but has progressed to address later groups who have moved through and disappeared from public discourse. Please let us know if you find a missing or buried story that needs to be told. Teaching Truth is an ongoing and highly collaborative effort!
Plaque #1 - Mary Ellen Pleasant
The first plaque to be installed and dedicated was for an icon of Black History, the Mother of Civil Rights in California, Mary Ellen Pleasant. During research for the plaque and planning the ceremony, we found many people did not know this amazing woman’s story. Now her story is visible for all to read and learn from at her graveside in Napa.