Tule River Indian Tribe of California

Tule River Indian Tribe of California

https://tulerivertribe-nsn.gov/

The Tule River Indian Tribe of California has a 150-year history of proud sovereignty over 55,000 acres in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. Its 2,000 members are descended from the Yokuts, Tubatulabal, and Paiute and other Native People of the San Joaquin Valley, Sierra Nevada, and Kern River Valley. The Yolumne Moh-Koch Pa’nan (Land Return) Project is an effort to reclaim and restore 14,673-acres of culturally significant land (currently known as Hershey Ranch) and an additional 2,350 acres (known as Carothers Ranch) for the Tule River Indian Tribe. The land abuts the Tule River Reservation and Giant Sequoia National Monument, making its grasslands, oak woodlands, and steep conifer forests an important wildlife corridor for mountain lions, black bears, California mule deer, golden eagles, wolves and resident and migratory songbirds. The Tribe plans to restore meadows and streams, reintroduce tule elk, beaver, and the California condor, which has been absent from this landscape for decades, and foster a healthy ecosystem for gathering traditional foods, medicines, and cultural materials to support Tribal members.