California Tribes Establish First-of-Kind Marine Stewardship

The Yurok-Tolowa-Dee-ni’ Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area has been jointly announced by three federally-recognized California Tribal Nations, marking it as the inaugural ocean protection area established by Tribal governments in the United States.

This historic endeavor sees the collaboration of the Resighini Tribe of Yurok People, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, and the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria. They have united to safeguard approximately 700 square miles of their ancestral marine and coastal territories, including waters, to enhance prolonged Tribal stewardship and governance.

This collective action aims to forward both Tribal and State co-management of vital ecosystems, ensuring the protection and sustenance of cultural lifeways and economies, and concurrently addressing the impacts of climate change.

The Yurok-Tolowa-Dee-ni’ IMSA spans from the Oregon and California border to an area just south of Trinidad in Humboldt County, positioned about 290 miles north of San Francisco. This establishment will significantly aid the state of California in realizing its biodiversity and enduring conservation objectives by 2030.

The newly declared Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area (IMSA) is a habitat to species that hold immense cultural significance to the Tribal nations. It harbors mussels, seaweed, kelp, clams, abalone, surf and night smelts, salmon, candlefish, green sturgeon, shorebirds, and eels, or lamprey.

This initiative underscores not only the rich biodiversity of the region but also the crucial role of Indigenous communities in conservation and marine stewardship, reflecting a fusion of ancestral knowledge and contemporary ecological practices.

The three Tribes stated in Tribal designation documents for the IMSA that they “do not seek the permission of other governments” and that they “can no longer wait to act to preserve and protect this culturally and ecologically important place.”

In June, the Tsawout First Nation in British Columbia established an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) spanning 155 square kilometers—approximately 60 square miles—of its territorial ocean waters. This significant initiative represents a step forward in the reclamation of rights, lands, and waters. Globally, there have been numerous successful Indigenous-led protected areas established over the decades.

The Yurok-Tolowa Dee-ni’ declaration safeguards an area more than 11 times larger than the Canadian example. Collectively, these pivotal designations demonstrate Indigenous sovereignty and leadership in advancing the protection of 30% of lands and waters across North America by 2030.

The Resighini Tribe of Yurok People, Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, and Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria recognize the importance of having a direct role in the management of their waters and lands. They acknowledge the critical need for preserving the future of their cultural resources and traditions, associated with these sacred places, especially as the climate crisis intensifies.

These tribes are acutely aware of the accelerating climate crisis and are proactively establishing measures to ensure the sanctity and preservation of their revered sites, emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental stewardship and cultural preservation in the face of escalating environmental challenges.

“This declaration is the culmination of years of hard work to protect our ocean and coastal waters. As Yurok people, we take our stewardship responsibilities very seriously and are proud to work with other sovereign Tribal Governments to do the work we were meant to as Tribal people,” said Fawn C. Murphy, Chairperson, of the Resighini Tribe of Yurok People. “We are so excited to be the leaders in this effort!”

The Yurok-Tolowa Dee-ni’ IMSA designation, the first of its kind in American history, seeks to protect a region from threats like sea level rise and coastal erosion by strengthening Tribal stewardship and applying Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to a variety of crucial management issues the area faces, including poor water quality, ocean acidification, species and habitat loss, offshore development, and other impacts of the climate crisis. The three Tribes are actively participating in a number of ongoing projects that focus on species monitoring and ocean and coastal research.

“The intent of IMSAs is to recognize Tribal Governance of unceded ocean and coastal waters through continued stewardship, to support cultural lifeways and economies, to enhance biodiversity, and to provide durable conservation measures designed to protect and restore ocean health that are rooted in Indigenous Traditional Knowledge,” said Jeri Lynn Thompson, Chairperson of the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation.

“A resilient marine ecosystem is essential for the well-being and protection of cultural and traditional species of importance to Trinidad Rancheria,” said Garth Sundberg, Chairman of the Trinidad Rancheria. “Since time immemorial, we have honored the inherent balance and interconnectedness of ocean resources and coastal communities. Today, we celebrate this historic action with our partnering sovereign Tribal Governments.”

The Tribes also acknowledge the existence of other Tribal Nations that occupy this oceanic region, and they have extended an open invitation to such Tribes to take part at any time in the future.