by Dave Raymond FORT BRAGG
California Indians are one step closer to realizing the dream of an
Indian-controlled wilderness park in the Sinkyone area of northern Mendocino
County. On March 20, the Board of Directors of the California State Coastal
Conservancy unanimously approved the sale of the "Sinkyone Upland Parcel" to
the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council. The Council has struggled for
almost a decade to acquire this 3,800-acre area of redwoods and coastal
forest for the creation of America's first intertribal park. This historic
decision was made before a crowd of 200 supporters packing the Fort Bragg
town hall, including a group of Indian high school students from Ukiah. It
recognizes the Sinkyone Council, in return for payment of a $100,000 option,
as the sole purchaser of the land. The Council still must raise another $1.3
million for final purchase within three years. However, the decision staves
off the threat that a group fronting for the timber industry would try to
purchase the land in order to cut down second-growth forests. "We are
really happy about the decision," said Hawk Rosales, coordinator of the
Sinkyone Council. "We still find it hard to believe, after struggling for
10 years, how close we are now to re-establishing Indian land stewardship,
and sovereignty, in the Sinkyone." The InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness
Council is a consortium of 10 federally-recognized tribes that have historic
ties to the former Sinkyone-area tribes. The Sinkyone were massacred by
white settlers in the late 19th century, and there were almost no survivors.
After these massacres, timber companies moved in, eventually cutting more
than 98 percent of the old-growth redwoods. The Council includes some
Sinkyone descendants, as well as representatives of other tribes who
traditionally utilized the area. Over the next few months the Coastal
Conservancy staff will research the feasibility of raising the $1.3 million.
If they conclude that the Sinkyone Council will be unable to do so, the
Conservancy will consider lowering the price. The Conservancy Board made
this decision after one board member unsuccessfully proposed that the land
be sold to the Sinkyone Council for one dollar. The Council is also
negotiating a conservation agreement that will govern their management of
the land. It will ensure that the area will be used for environmental and
cultural restoration, and for public access and education for both Indians
and non-Indians. The effort to buy and preserve the Sinkyone began in the
early 1980s when California Indians and their environmentalist supporters
sued the California Dept. of Forestry. They charged that logging had
destroyed many Indian cultural, spiritual, and food gathering sites. In 1985
the lawsuit was successful and the state Coastal Conservancy bought 7,100
acres from Georgia- Pacific, the company that had clearcut much of the land.
The coastal half of this area was added to a state park, with the inland
portion slated to be sold to a non-profit group. This "Upland Parcel" is
the area that is the subject of the recent Coastal Conservancy decision.
The Sinkyone Council has worked for 10 years to heal the Sinkyone. They have
restored salmon streams, planted trees, and removed old logging roads. But
they have also worked to heal the wounds felt by California Indians, from
the massacres of the last century, and the racism and lack of land that
affect them to this day. Many inter-tribal ceremonies and gatherings have
been held at the Sinkyone. Elders and others have continued to gather
traditional food and medicine in the area. "We need to walk the trails
where our ancestors walked," said Carmen Christy (Yokayo Pomo). "The land
misses her people. The land misses our presence." "To have the Sinkyone
InterTribal Park," added Lyman Jewett (Wailaki), "would be like going
home." The Coastal Conservancy's decision, while it overcomes one major
obstacle toward purchase of the land, doesn't take the pressure off the
Sinkyone Council. According to Rosales, "The hurdles to establishing the
Intertribal Park are not primarily political anymore, they're financial."
The Council just received a $25,000 matching grant toward purchase of the
land. They need to raise an equal amount from other supporters in order to
get this money. The Council also needs support for its ongoing cultural and
environmental restoration work. Contributions should be sent to:
InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, 190 Ford Road #333, Ukiah, CA
95482. The Bay Area Friends of Sinkyone is a support group that raises
money and awareness about the InterTribal Park. They plan to hold the 3rd
Annual Sinkyone Bike-a-Thon, a five-day fundraising ride from San Francisco
to Sinkyone, May 27-31. A public gathering at Sinkyone in late June will
celebrate the recent victory. For info: Bay Area Friends of Sinkyone, (510)
486-8939, or the InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, (707) 485-8744.
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