For thousands of years prior to European contact, the Nisenan thrived alongside the watersheds, flora and fauna of their ancestral lands in Nevada County.
The connection between the Nisenan and the land was brutally severed with the onset of the Gold Rush, which launched the Tribe into over half a century as a landless people.
Last fall, The Sierra Fund concluded a multi-year acquisition project to reconnect the Nisenan to their ancestral lands. With the support of TSF, the California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP), the nonprofit vehicle representing the Nisenan Tribe, successfully acquired a 32-acre parcel on Angkula Seo (Deer Creek) just downstream from the Nisenan Tribute Site and Bridge on the popular Deer Creek Tribute Trail. This landmark transaction has provided the Nisenan Tribe private access to ancestral land, however, the property is in dire need of care before it can be used for cultural purposes.
A community clean up party on May 30th will launch an extended effort by CHIRP and the Nisenan Tribe to restore the land. The initial effort will aim to remove the tremendous amount of trash that has been dumped at the site over the years. This is the first of many steps and The Sierra Fund warmly invites local individuals and organizations to join us in supporting the original people of our community.
For more information on how you can participate in this activity, contact CHIRP at info@chirpca.org.
