Advancing Tribal Access, Co-Management, and Ancestral Land Return
October 2, 2024
California Natural Resources Agency Headquarters Building
715 P St, Sacramento
Agenda:
- 8:00 am: Check-In and Light Breakfast
- 9:00 am: Welcome and Keynote Remarks – Auditorium
- Wilton Rancheria
- Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary
- Corrina Gould, Confederated Villages of Lisjan Chairperson and Sogorea Te' Land Trust Director
- 9:30 am: Session 1: Weaving the Future Confronting the Past: Historical Wrongs
and Cultural Humility – Auditorium
- Geneva E. B. Thompson, California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary - Moderator
- Atta Stevenson, Cahto Elder and Traditional Practitioner
- Cutcha Risling Baldy, Cal Poly Humboldt Associate Professor
- Beth Rose Middleton Manning, University of California Davis Professor
- 10:30 am: California Tribal Affairs Policies Overview
- Geneva E. B. Thompson, California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary
- 10:40 am: Coffee Break – 2nd Floor
- 11:00 am: Session 2 – 2nd Floor
Tribal Training Room
2nd Floor Rooms 2-221 B, C
Legal Considerations for Ancestral Land Return and Establishing Tribal Land Trust
Geneva E. B. Thompson, CNRA Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs - Moderator
Sara Clark, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger Partner
Scott Williams, Berkey Williams Partner
Michelle Lee, Circle Law Group Partner
Non-Tribal Land Trust Room
2nd Floor Rooms 2-201
State Polices to Strengthen Partnerships with California Native American Tribes
Meghan Hertel, CNRA Deputy Secretary for Biodiversity and Habitat - Moderator
Victor Bjelajac, State Parks District Superintendent
Rosie Clayburn, Yurok Tribe Cultural Resources Department Director and Tribal Heritage Preservation Officer
Amy Hutzel, State Coastal Conservancy Executive Director
- 12:00 pm: Lunch and Networking – Cafeteria on 1st Floor
- 1:00 pm: Sessions 3 and 4 - Breakout Sessions
Tribal Training Room
2nd Floor Rooms 2-221 B, C
Session 3: Governing and Maintaining a Land Trust (1:00 pm – 2:00pm)
Geneva E. B. Thompson, CNRA Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs - Moderator
Bob Przeklasa, Native American Land Conservancy Executive Director
Emily Burgueno, Chair of the Kumeyaay Diegueno Land Conservancy
Bob Neale, Land Trust Alliance California Program Manager
Non-Tribal Land Trust Room
2nd Floor Rooms 2-201
Session 3: Allyship Spectrum Training
(1:00 pm – 1:30 pm)
Taylor Pennewell, Redbud Resources Executive Director
Tribal Training Room
2nd Floor Rooms 2-221 B, C
Session 4: Funding Strategies
(2:00 pm – 2:30 pm)
Meagan Flier, California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs - Moderator
Jennifer Norris, Wildlife Conservation Board Executive Director
Bridget Fithian, California Coalition of Land Trusts Chair and Executive Director Sierra Foothill Conservancy
Kaitilin Gaffney, Resources Legacy Fund Conservation Program Director
Keali’i Bright, Division Director Department of Conservation
Non-Tribal Land Trust Room
2nd Floor Rooms 2-201
Session 4: Experiences of Meaningful Tribal Partnerships (1:30 pm – 2:30 pm)
Merry Kate Droz, Northern California Tribal Courts Coalition Project Specialist – Moderator
Karin Winters, California Coalition of Land Trusts Program Director - Moderator
Ali Meders-Knight, Executive Director, California Open Lands
Ben Blom, Save Redwoods League Director of Stewardship and Recreation
Shine Nieto, Tule River Tribal Vice Chairperson
William Garfield, Sequoia National Forest Tribal Relations Specialist and Former Chairperson for the Tule River Tribe
Jeanette Tuitele-Lewis, Big Sur Land Trust President and CEO
Louise J. Miranda Ramirez, Tribal Chairwoman, Ohlone/Costanoan-Esselen Nation
Tom Little Bear Nason, Tribal Chairman, Esselen Tribe of Monterey County
- 2:30 pm: Coffee Break – 2nd Floor Lobby
- 3:00 pm: Session 5: Commitment to Action and Partnerships
2nd Floor Rooms 2-221 A, B, C
- Taylor Pennewell, Redbud Resources Executive Director
- 3:30 pm: Session 6: Roundtable Discussions – 2nd Floor Rooms 2-221 A, B, C
- Shawn Johnson, University of Montana Center for Natural Resources & Environmental Policy Director
- Sharon Farrell, The Stewardship Network Strategic Advisor
- Alexis Gibson, University of Montana Center for Natural Resources & Environmental Policy Sr. Project Manager
- 4:45 pm: Reflection on the Day
- 5:00 pm: End of Workshop
- 5:00 pm: Wild and Scenic Film Festival Screening – Auditorium
- Kicking off the 30x30 Partnership 2024 Summit, join us for a special viewing of select films from the renowned Wild & Scenic Film Festival! You will have a chance to see films showcasing the beauty of our planet and the importance of conservation. The film portion will begin at 5pm with opening remarks and light appetizers and drinks to follow. Register here.
Materials and recordings of the Tribal Stewardship Strategy Training can be found at https://resources.ca.gov/Initiatives/Tribalaffairs/TribalStewardshipStrategy.
Partnering with tribes is a core commitment of the California Natural Resources Agency in conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal 2030, expanding Nature-Based Solutions as a climate change solution, and creating safe and equitable access to the outdoors. The Agency’s new Tribal Stewardship Strategy and Toolkit will provide policies and resources to advance shared goals of tribes and the State of California for improved tribal access and co-management of public places and natural resources and returning ancestral lands to tribal ownership.
Many of the departments under the California Natural Resources Agency are leading the way for the State in advancing tribal access, co-management, and ancestral land return. This Strategy will highlight many of these projects to serve as an example of policy in action. To name a few:
- The California Department of Parks and Recreation has entered into 12 different memorandums of understanding opening up 897,085 acres of State Parks land to tribes for ceremonies, gathering, and use.
- The Sierra Nevada Conservancy has awarded $4,431,798 to support the return of 2,488 acres of land to three California Native American tribes.
- The California Conservation Corps awarded $10 million to fund five tribes in the establishment of tribal youth corps programs.
- The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection awarded $19,000,000 to 13 tribes to support their wildfire resilience and forestry management priorities.
The California Natural Resources Agency launched California’s first ever $100 million Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant program. This funding supported California Native American tribes’ nature-based solutions priorities, with a primary focus on ancestral land return. As part of this grant program, the State Coastal Conservancy, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the Ocean Protection Council all contributed funding to extend the reach of the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Program.
During the first half of 2024, CNRA sought early tribal consultations and hosted two tribal roundtable discussion on the development of the Tribal Stewardship Strategy and Toolkit. CNRA plans to have a draft Tribal Stewardship Strategy for tribal consultation and public comment in early 2025. Updated information will be posted on this website.
In the meantime, if you have suggestions for the Tribal Stewardship Strategy and Toolkit, please email us at tribalaffairs@resources.ca.gov.
As part of our work to advance tribal access, co-management, and ancestral land return, the Agency is developing a Tribal Stewardship Strategy Toolkit to provide resources to tribes, non-tribal entities, and state and local governments to learn more and to work together in addressing historical wrongs. The Agency will host regular webinars and trainings on specific topics to support a shared understanding of complex issues around tribal access, co-management, and ancestral land return. will be housed on this webpage. This Toolkit will also provide examples, templates, reading materials, and other resources that we hope will support tribes and non-tribal entities in advancing tribal access, co-management, and ancestral land return.If you have any suggestions on topics we should include in this Toolkit, please email us at tribalaffairs@resources.ca.gov.
During our first webinar, we had experts share their personal experiences and expertise on why advancing tribal access, co-management, and ancestral land return is necessary work for righting historical wrongs. We recommend starting here as you explore this Tribal Stewardship Strategy Toolkit.
Righting Historical Wrongs: Truth, Healing and Tribal Stewardship
