In December 2023, the Hoopa Valley Tribe (Hupa) completed the largest land reacquisition in their history since 1864—reclaiming 10,395 acres of ancestral territory in a $14.1 million deal that expanded their reservation by more than 10%. This wasn’t just a real estate transaction. It was the return of sacred salmon…
In the Coachella Valley, where the desert floor cracks under relentless sun and most people see only emptiness, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians have always seen home. They call this place Sèc-he—boiling water—a name that doesn’t romanticize or soften the landscape but tells you exactly what matters: the…
Forty years of casino operations, a federal lawsuit challenging neighboring tribes, and centuries of resilience in California’s Sierra foothills—the Jackson Band of Miwuk Indians has transformed from displaced indigenous survivors into economic powerhouses while fiercely protecting their heritage. Their story isn’t just about gaming revenue or land disputes; it’s about…
On a map, the Klamath River is a thin blue line. On the ground, it is a long, breathing story. The Karuk people say that story is not finished, because the people are not finished. The Karuk Tribe has always called this river home. “As long as the river flows,…