Giving Thanks for Tribal Stewardship

Map by Concerto via Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we would like to express our gratitude for the Indigenous peoples of this nation. The origins of Thanksgiving are sordid and to many represent grief and mourning, for the arrival of colonists and the centuries of Indigenous genocide, displacement, and oppression that followed. We acknowledge this injustice and strive to restore the relationships with Native peoples and their homelands.

Before European contact, over 500 groups of Indigenous people called what is now California home, and today there are about 110 federally recognized tribes in California with over 80 additional groups seeking federal recognition. It is thanks to Indigenous culture and stewardship, since time immemorial, that this region is replete with bounty. Let’s celebrate the revitalization of Traditional Knowledge and the ongoing Tribal stewardship of ancestral lands and waters. There is an incredible amount of restoration underway, and here we highlight just a few of the numerous Tribal efforts in Northwest California:

Yurok Tribe

The Yurok Tribe has played a key role in the conservation efforts to protect the Northern spotted owl. The Tribe’s ancestral land lies within one of the last remaining habitats of the Northern spotted owl. With over 15 years of data collection, their work has been essential in developing land conservation projects and a barred owl management plan that is now underway. They have successfully integrated Traditional Ecological Knowledge into science-based conservation to make lasting changes to environmental policies.

Their leadership extends from forests to rivers. Today, because of their generational resilience and dedication, the river runs free, and the salmon have returned for the first time in a century. With this success under their belt, they have now turned their attention to decommissioning of the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project in the Eel River by entering into a historic Treaty of Friendship with the Round Valley Indian Tribe, in a partnership that commits to river restoration and rebuilding populations of salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey in the Eel River.

Prey-go-neesh (California condor, Gymnogyps californianus). Photo by U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife (PD).

In partnership with federal agencies, prey-go-neesh, or condors, can now be found soaring in our skies through the Yurok Condor Restoration Program (YCRP). With over a decade of research and generations of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, the Yurok Tribe is working to reestablish balance in the world.

Read more about the various projects on their website: https://www.yuroktribe.org/about-us

Karuk Tribe

Since 2006, the Karuk Tribe has been documenting data on Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) and mycotoxins in the Klamath River. Before the dam removal, more than 50% of the water samples they collected exceeded public health limits. Since the dam removal, their data have shown a complete recovery of water quality and safety in the river. Their findings show a dramatic improvement in water temperatures, a reduction in algae, and an increase in dissolved oxygen, all benefiting not only humans but salmon and other aquatic life as well! By playing a central role in scientific research, the Karuk Tribe has provided clear evidence that the short-term impacts of dam removal are far outweighed by long-term ecological and community benefits, paving the way for future river restoration projects.

Read more about their generations of advocacy here.

Hoopa Valley Tribe

For years, the Hoopa Valley Tribe has been a cornerstone of environmental leadership in the Klamath-Trinity region. Their world-renowned Forestry and Fisheries Departments have shaped some of the most successful restoration efforts in California, from sustained-yield forest stewardship to large-scale river and floodplain rehabilitation along the Trinity River. With Northern spotted owl return at the forefront of their efforts, the Tribe was recently awarded a $4.5 million grant (a part of a larger federal initiative that emphasizes tribal-led conservation and the use of Indigenous Knowledge to benefit endangered species).

The Tribe’s leadership also extends into the legal and policy arena. Hoopa secured landmark victories affirming Tribal water and fishing rights, and played a pivotal role in the federal decisions that ultimately advanced Klamath dam removal.

Read more about their work here.

Wiyot Tribe

One of the most powerful stories in California today is the Wiyot Tribe’s leadership in the landback movement to achieve ongoing restoration of homeland and culture. In the last few years, the tribe has successfully reclaimed culturally and ecologically significant areas across Wigi (Humboldt Bay), including portions of Tuluwat (Indian Island), Cock Robin Island, and, most recently dígawutatlh-kilh (the coastal dunes of the Samoa Peninsula). The returns represent not only profound acts of justice, but also the expansion of indigenous stewardship across some of the most sensitive dune, wetland, and estuary habitats on the West Coast. Under Wiyot care, these landscapes are being actively restored through invasive species removal, cultural burning, and long-term ecological planning and monitoring, which benefits endangered species, migratory birds, and the health of the bay ecosystem.

The Wiyot Tribe has also been a regional leader in climate resilience, sea-level rise adaptation, and habitat restoration in and around Humboldt Bay.

Read more about their work here.

Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation

The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is carrying forward a powerful legacy of stewardship in the Smith River estuary–one of the last clean, free-flowing, undammed rivers in the United States. The Nation has been at the forefront of efforts to protect the watershed from pesticide contamination from industrial lily bulb agriculture, elevating the voices of residents experiencing health impacts, monitoring water quality, and advocating for stronger protections for salmon, steelhead, and community health.

The Tolowa Nation is also restoring coastal prairies, wetlands, and traditional food systems, while revitalizing indigenous fire practices and culturally important species.

Find out more about the Tribe here.

Thanksgiving is a day of grief for many Tribes. It is a reminder of loss and genocide. As we recognize Native American Heritage Month, we hope to move beyond symbolic acknowledgment and commit ourselves to meaningful relationships, solidarity, and support for Indigenous-led restoration and sovereignty. This month is an opportunity to reflect on the past, honor the truth, repair our present, and work together to build a just future.