Who We Are
Charlene Nijmeh, Chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, Board President
Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh was elected as Chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in 2018 and serves as the Board President of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation. She is from the Marine-Sanchez lineage that descends from the first peoples of the San Francisco Bay Area. Her engagement with tribal affairs began at the age of 8, when the Tribe was working to repatriate ancestral remains during the 1980s. She is the daughter of the prior chairwoman, Rosemary Cambra, who made sure to involve Tribal children and stress the importance of being responsible for ancestral remains and ancestral lands. She is founder and chairwoman of the Green Education Foundation that educates youth about sustainability. She is also the CEO of an international textile recycling business that diverts 60 million pounds of textile waste each year.
Monica Arellano, Vice Chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, Board Vice President
Vice Chairwoman Monica Arellano has was elected as Vice Chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe in 1998 and serves as the Board Vice President of the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation. She represents the Tribe on Native American Heritage Commission’s Most Likely Descendant list and runs the Tribe’s cultural resources management company to protect the Tribe’s aboriginal and religious rights while caring for the proper and respectful treatment of their ancestral remains and cultural artifacts. She is also a co-author of many archaeological reports regarding the Tribe’s ancestral heritage sites. She is also the Co-Chair of the Muwekma Language Committee and is proactive in restoring her Tribe’s Muwekma Ohlone Language. All of Monica’s paternal Ohlone ancestors were missionized into the Mission San Jose and Mission Dolores. Her lineage is descended from her (four-greats)-grandmother Efrena Quennatole (b. 1797) of the Carquin Ohlone/Napian Tribe (Northern San Francisco Bay) and her (four-greats)-grandfather, Liberato Culpecse (b. 1787), baptized at Mission Dolores in 1801 and who was of the Jalquin/Yrgin Ohlone Tribe of the greater San Leandro-Oakland area.
Monica lives in Castro Valley with her son Lucas Tuyhešte (which means “Strong” in the Tribe’s native Chochenyo language.) Monica’s main focus is raising her son, who is her source of inspiration in the preservation of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe’s language, culture, and heritage.
Sheila Guzman-Schmidt, Councilwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, Board Member
Councilwoman Sheila Guzman-Schmidt has been on the Tribal Council since 2001. She is the great Sheila Guzman-Schmidt is a descendant of the Jalquin Ohlone/Saclan Bay Miwok and Delta/North Valley Yokuts . She is presently a Tribal Council Woman for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area and Co-Chair of the Muwekma Language Committee. Jose Guzman whose parents were Delta North Valley Yokuts is Sheila’s Great-Grandfather and was one of the last knowledgeable speakers of the Delta Yokuts and Chochenyo Ohlone Language until his death in 1934. Jose married Francisca Nonessi whose ancestry is traced back to the Jalquin, Saclan, Napian and Choquoime tribal groups on her Fathers side and Francisca’s mother was the younger sister of Jose Antonio the last Capitan of the Alisal Rancheria/Verona Band community form the Sunol/Niles/Pleasanton/Livermore area. Sheila’s Grandfather is Alfred Guzman who was their middle son. Alfred served in the 28th Infantry Division in France during WWI. Alfred married Minnie Higuera from Pleasanton and their third child Frank Harry Guzman is her Father. Her father served in the European Theatre in the U.S. Army 345th Infantry Regiment during WWII.
As a Native California Indian growing up in the East Bay and Central Valley, Sheila feels that the rich history and Cultural heritage of the Ohlone People should be both celebrated and preserved for future generations.
Sheila currently lives in the Central Valley where she has been working 29 years as a Respiratory Care Practitioner.
Aaron Hébert, Secretary and Board Member
Aaron Hébert is a Senior Resource Management Specialist with the Natural Resources Department of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. He is an ecologist and manages cultural resources for Midpen, working with Native American communities. As a non-tribal member, Aaron works to support the Tribe by building partnerships with the conservation community in the Bay Area and providing expertise in running a land trust.
Alan Leventhal, Tribal Ethnohistorian, Board Member
Alan Leventhal has worked as non-tribal administrative staff member with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe for over the past 40 years as an ethnohistorian and archaeologist. His work for the tribe focuses on connecting the tribe to archaeological sites and their Federal Recognition as a previously federally recognized tribe. He has co-authored multiple historical and culturally-related publications and archaeological reports with the tribal leadership, affirming their aboriginal connection to the greater Bay Area. Alan had also worked as a volunteer (1992-1998) on the Congressionally created (HR 2144) Advisory Council on California Indian Policy’s Unrecognized Tribal Task Force and was one of the few advocates for the Previously Federally Recognized Tribes in the state. Since 1978, he has taught at San Jose State University, Department of Anthropology on contemporary Native American issues and archaeological theories and methods.
Daniel Olstein, Treasurer and Board Member
Daniel Olstein is the Director of Land Programs & Stewardship at the Peninsula Open Space Trust. At POST, Dan builds partnerships and manages land with Native American communities. As a non-tribal member, Dan supports the Tribe through expertise in land conservation, stewardship, and non-profit best practices.
Dr. Mike V. Wilcox, Acting Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Board Member
Dr. Mike V. Wilcox is a Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Stanford University and volunteers as a non-tribal member as the Acting Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. His research attempts to bridge the gap between archaeologists, anthropologists, and Native Americans and focuses on Indigenous resistance movements.
Megan Fluke, Interim Executive Director
Megan brings a wealth of experience in land conservation, advocacy, native-led initiatives, and organizational effectiveness, shaped by her tenure at Green Foothills from 2013-2023. Known for her collaborative and detail-oriented approach, Megan was appointed by the MOPF Board as Interim Executive to support tribal collaboration, strategic program planning, fund development, marketing and communications, governance, human resources, and consultant management.
Jillianne Amanno, Outreach and Administrative Assistant
Jill joined the Muwekma Ohlone Preservation Foundation in 2024. As our Outreach and Administrative Assistant, she provides comprehensive support in marketing, communications, fiscal management, fundraising, and general administration. Jill has a background in business development, customer service, graphic design, and conflict resolution. She resides with her three children and partner in San Martin and enjoys spending time outdoors, going for bike rides, relaxing in their backyard, and listening to her eclectic collection of music while cooking family meals.