The Indigenous Justice Coalition (IJC) is a youth-led 501(c)(3) network (EIN: 33-4292786) that partners with Indigenous nations to advance advocacy, environmental justice, and civic engagement. In the Bay Area alone, we’ve built 12 active chapters with over 300 members who lead educational workshops, advocacy projects, and service initiatives.

The IJC is focused on supporting the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe—the Indigenous people of this land whose federal recognition was wrongfully stripped in 1927. We see it as our responsibility as San Jose students and community members to amplify their voices, which have been oppressed for centuries.

The IJC operates on three interconnected fronts: legislative affairs, finance, and education. Through legislative advocacy, we’ve secured 90+ letters of support for federal recognition from elected officials and even traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate directly in Congress. On the finance side, we co-authored successful proposals including a $500,000 California Air Resources Board grant and a $10,000 Indian Land Tenure Foundation grant for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, while partnering with 13 organizations to pursue over $537,500 in 8 additional pending grants. On the education and service front, we’ve hosted 21+ public events about the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe: from marching in the Rose, White & Blue Parade, to organizing a Bellarmine College Preparatory school assembly that reached 1,800 students, to leading environmental workshops of 150+ attendees each and hosting a booth at the Stanford Powwow that engaged with 30,000 people.

Our vision is to make San Jose a place where Indigenous history is honored, youth are empowered, and communities come together to celebrate and serve the voices of those too often erased. With Awesome Foundation San Jose’s support, our organization will expand educational workshops and community service projects that involve thousands of students to amplify Indigenous voices.