With the uncertainty of the Presidio Trust's future in San Francisco, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of San Francisco Bay has sent a letter to the Trump administration asking for the government to restore the Presidio back to its tribe.

"This is where the fort was created to bring the Indians in to start building the mission system. So the first mission that was built here was in Mission Dolores in 1776 and this is where they started gathering the Ohlone people from the various villages that surrounded the area," Charlene Nimjeh, the chairwoman of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of San Francisco Bay, told CBS News Bay Area.

There are more than 600 members of the tribe currently living all across the Bay Area.

She shared stories of her ancestors as she walked through the Crissy Field in the Presidio, the same land her ancestors lived thousands of years ago.

"Our ancestors are still buried here, we had some come up in the past years. Burial sites come up," Nijmeh said. "Why are we spread out? Because of gentrification. We're spread out because people moved us around. And what I say is that they are moving us out of the area is because they don't want Indians here."  

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February to drastically reduce the functions of the Presidio Trust. The trust was established by Congress in 1996, to maintain the former U.S. Army base, along with residences, businesses, schools and recreational parks in the Presidio.

It has been financially independent from the government since 2013.

"Why isn't there an Indigenous people, an Ohlone representative here? We are the first people of these lands and we're still here," Nijmeh said. "We don't exist in their eyes, and we call that political erasure by not acknowledging you, your presence."

Joey Iyolopixtli Torres, culture bearer and member of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, said it's more than just representation. It's also about keeping the legacy of their ancestors alive.

"The areas of this village waterline were the trade route before anything. We had relationships, it wasn't just what you see now, which is bridges and buildings," he said. "Relatives came, traveled far and wide for the seasons. Strawberries, for the minerals of the food, the salt, the fishing, the sturgeon, the salmon. Many different relationships with the birds."

The tribe has not been federally recognized since the Bureau of Indian Affairs omitted them more than 40 years ago. Nijmeh has been continuing the fight for the historical and cultural protections. She hopes her letter to the White House asking for the restoration of Presidio ownership to the tribe, is one step forward.

"Let's start right here in the Presidio. Let's have a cultural museum so that we can share the history what life was like before the mission before the fort was created and what life looked like today for us," she said. 

One local expert, said however, that this will be an uphill battle.

"I would not anticipate this administration to entertain that request. It does not really fall in line with what this administration has signaled it wants to do. Rather than hand control of this land to the group like the tribe, it would be more likely that the Trump administration would want to find some way to generate revenue off of this land," Cal State East Bay Department of Public Affairs and Administration Assistant Professor Brandon Philips told CBS News Bay Area.

"It's really interesting that at this moment that it is under this level of scrutiny because it is a highly successful endeavor and one of those that represents the success of governing in this style of business," he added.

He said part of the success for the Presidio Trust is how self-sustaining it has been since it was established a little more than 30 years ago.

"This trust has been self-sustaining. The largest injection of money it has gotten from the government was under the Inflation Reduction Act, and the purpose of the act was to invest in the improving of infrastructure all around the country. But for the most part, this trust is successful on its own without further investment from federal government," Philips said.

As the future of the Presidio continues to remain uncertain, Nijmeh and Iyolopixtli Torres say, however, they will not lose hope.

"I will stay with the hope that we have that one day we will steward these lands," Nijmeh said.

CBS News Bay Area reached out to the Presidio Trust for comment, but a spokesperson declined the request for an interview. They did mention, however, that they want to clarify that the Presidio Trust is not receiving any ongoing federal appropriations and is not costing taxpayer money.