Kanishka Singh

(Reuters] -An indigenous tribe group has reclaimed a northern California redwood forest. In San Francisco, a conservation group transferred over 500 acres (202 hectares), of land to a council representing tribal nations that have historical ties.

The conservation group Save the Redwoods League announced Tuesday that it had purchased the property of 523 acres, previously known as Andersonia West in July 2020. It has since donated the ownership to InterTribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council.

According to the statement, “The Sinkyone Council shall resume guardianship of the land from which the Sinkyone people were expelled by European American colonists generations ago”.

Last year, U.S. federal officials met https://reut.rs/3Aunowk with Native American tribes to gather recommendations as the federal government sought to move ahead with efforts to protect and restore tribal homelands.

The group of 10 tribes that have inhabited the area on the Lost Coast in Mendocino County for thousands of years will be responsible for protecting the land to be renamed as “Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ,” meaning “Fish Run Place” in the Sinkyone language.

“Renaming the property Tc’ih-Léh-Dûñ lets people know that it’s a sacred place; it’s a place for our Native people,” said Crista Ray, a tribal citizen of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and a board member of the Sinkyone Council. It lets people know there is a language there and there were once inhabitants of the area.

Priscilla Hunt, Chairwoman of The Sinkyone Council said that it is fitting that they would be the caretakers for the land on which tribal people had to flee in the days before timber was cut.

Save the Redwoods League’s initial purchase of the forest for $3.55 million in 2020 was funded by Pacific Gas & Electric Company, also known as PG&E (NYSE:).

California utility companies have been criticised for burning many trees to lessen the likelihood of their vegetation touching power lines. This also caused forest fires.

PG&E said it had also provided $1.13 million in 2021 to fund a perpetual stewardship endowment and to reimburse Save the Redwoods League for staff time spent on collaboration in developing the conservation project.