{"id":76678,"date":"2025-10-29T15:30:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T22:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=76678"},"modified":"2025-10-29T15:30:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T22:30:08","slug":"tule-river-indian-tribe-of-california-reclaims-over-17000-acres-and-reintroduces-tule-elk-on-ancestral-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=76678","title":{"rendered":"Tule River Indian Tribe of California reclaims over 17,000 acres and reintroduces tule elk on ancestral land"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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What you need to know:<\/strong>\u00a0The largest ancestral land return in the Sierra Nevada foothills and the Central Valley, and the reintroduction of tule elk, restores cultural connections, strengthens sovereignty, and advances\u00a0California\u2019s 30×30 goals<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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SACRAMENTO \u2014\u00a0<\/strong>In a historic milestone, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the return of 17,030 acres of ancestral land to the Tule River Indian Tribe. This is the largest ancestral land return in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Central Valley region, and a milestone in California\u2019s efforts to address historical wrongs against California Native American tribes, as well as in the state\u2019s work to restore and protect critical ecosystems. A land return and tule elk reintroduction ceremony will be held today with tribal leaders, state partners, and community members in attendance.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u201c<\/span>The historical wrongs committed by the state against the Native people of this land echo through the natural worlds of California \u2014 ecosystems that lost their first and best stewards. Today marks a critical step in deepening the relationship between the state and the Tule River Indian Tribe, and works towards restoring the deep relationship between the Tribe and their ancestral lands.\u201d<\/h4>\n
\nGovernor Gavin Newsom<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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This land return and tule elk reintroduction restores sacred homelands, renews access to traditional foods and medicines, and strengthens cultural continuity for future generations. It was done in partnership with the Tribe, California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and facilitated by The Conservation Fund (TCF), and was funded through CNRA\u2019s Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant program, WCB\u2019s Habitat Conservation Fund, and private philanthropic partners. The\u00a0Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant program<\/a>\u00a0builds on the Governor\u2019s\u00a0direction\u00a0<\/a>for state entities to work cooperatively with California Native American tribes to return ancestral lands and advances one of the core pillars to partner with tribes in the state\u2019s goal to conserve 30% of California\u2019s lands and coastal waters by 2030.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Tule River Tribe has a long history of asserting and affirming its sovereignty,\u201d\u00a0said Tule River Tribal Council Chairman Leister \u201cShine\u201d R. Nieto Jr.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThis land return demonstrates the very essence of tribal land restoration, which expands access to essential food and medicinal resources. It also supports the ongoing preservation of cultural sites, deepens environmental stewardship, and restores wildlife reintroduction efforts. The Tribe envisions this land located in the Yowlumne Hills as a place to gather, heal, and simply be, for members of the Tule River Indian Tribe. We extend our sincere thanks to the CNRA, WCB, philanthropic partners, and The Conservation Fund for their generous support of this land return.\u201d<\/p>\n

This land acquisition builds on the Tribe\u2019s efforts to advance sovereignty, restore habitat, and honor the enduring connection to their lands and culture. Once spanning over 91,000 acres, the reservation today includes more than 55,000 acres of forest and rangeland.\n<\/p>\n

Return of Tule Elk, restoration of ecosystem\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In partnership with CDFW, the Tribe will reintroduce tule elk that have been absent from the foothills for decades to help restore the land\u2019s ecological community, which has seen a resurgence of gray wolves. Last year, the Tribe and CDFW also partnered to reintroduce\u00a0beavers\u00a0<\/a>into the area. The partnership between CDFW and the Tribe will also sustain the recovery of the California condor and protect important habitat \u2014 setting a model for future tribal and state collaboration.<\/p>\n

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The Tule River Indian Tribe land acquisition safeguards vital watersheds that support downstream communities, wildlife, and agricultural lands, and reconnect landscapes between the Giant Sequoia National Monument, the Tribe\u2019s reservation, and San Joaquin Valley wetlands, advancing California\u2019s goal to conserve 30% of the state\u2019s lands and coastal waters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis land return reflects the very best of California, honoring tribal leadership, reintroducing keystone wildlife, and investing to help people and nature thrive together,\u201d said\u00a0California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThe return of tule elk to these foothills shows what is possible when cultural resilience and conservation come together to build a healthier, more just California. Moving forward, we are charting a future in which tribal leadership guides all we do to protect our lands, waters, and wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n

Restoration will also improve groundwater recharge, reduce flood risks, and secure water supplies for downstream disadvantaged San Joaquin-Tulare communities. By healing watersheds, enhancing resilience, and expanding cultural access, this project delivers benefits far beyond tribal boundaries, creating lasting protections for people, wildlife, and lands across the region.<\/p>\n

As part of similar, larger efforts to help restore and rehabilitate ecosystems across the state, including\u00a0initiatives<\/a>\u00a0to return salmon to habitats, CDFW and its partners have initiated\u00a0a second year of spring-run Chinook salmon reintroduction efforts<\/a>\u00a0into historic habitat in the North Yuba River.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What you need to know:\u00a0The largest...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ca-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=76678"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76679,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76678\/revisions\/76679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=76678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=76678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=76678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}