The Wiyot Tribe and Friends of the Dunes are excited to announce the official return of the historically significant Digawututklh land back to the Wiyot Tribe. This momentous occasion was commemorated with a private ceremony and celebration held on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. Digawututklh includes a 357-acre property that has been managed over the past four years as the Samoa Dunes & Wetlands Conservation Area by the nonprofit organization Friends of the Dunes. This land return is an important step in honoring the Wiyot Tribe’s heritage and commitment to environmental stewardship. “Wiyot people have a deep connection with this place, traditionally the Tribe had villages throughout the Samoa peninsula, this place is incredibly special to us,” said Hazel James, Wiyot Councilwoman.

 

Wiyot people have a profound connection to their ancestral lands, a bond that has been disrupted by settler colonialism and exacerbated by decades of extractive practices. In response to these historical injustices, the Wiyot Tribe is actively engaged in restoring balance through Dishgamu Humboldt, a tribally controlled community land trust. As the Community Land Trust of the Wiyot Tribe, Dishgamu Humboldt is the next step on this journey. Named after the Soulatluk word for love, Dishgamu Humboldt is designed to facilitate the return of Wiyot ancestral lands to Wiyot stewardship, putting land in trust for the purposes of affordable housing creation, workforce development, and environmental and cultural restoration. “We use the Soulatluk word for love as the name of the Tribe’s land trust because the work we are doing is steeped in Wiyot values of commitment, responsibility and caring for this place. The Tribe has plans for ecocultural restoration, returning the land to good health through the environmental restoration of the land as well as the return of Cultural practices which are intrinsic to the health of the land as well as the people of the Tribe,” Michelle Vassel, Tribal Administrator, stated. According to Ted Hernandez, Wiyot Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, “to the Wiyot people our traditional lands have a sacred spirit, Digawututklh connected Shou’r to Wigi where Tuluwat is the heart, and Digawututklh is the lungs, it breathes life into our ceremonies.”  

 

The Digawututklh property is uniquely characterized by its diverse ecosystems, including open dunes, an extensive coastal forest, seasonal wetlands, and estuarine habitats. The land includes access to Wigi (Humboldt Bay) and Shou’r (the Pacific Ocean) and features many acres of coniferous forest dominated by shore pine and Sitka spruce–the southernmost extent of this forest assemblage in the world. “Digawututklh provided for Wiyot people, and Wiyot people cared for it, plants like huckleberries that grow there were tended by Wiyot people and the dunes protected the villages from harsh weather due to the dunes being so large, they provided shelter,” explained Ted Hernandez, Wiyot Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. This coastal region is renowned for its rich biodiversity, providing habitat for various plant and animal species, including migratory birds and endangered species. “This place has traditionally been used for food harvesting such as clams and surf fish, it was also a ceremonial place where the red woodpecker dance was held, now that the land has been returned these cultural practices can return,” said Brian Mead, Wiyot Tribal Chair. “Digawututklh was also part of a vast traditional transportation system, this village was a place where people came from the north to catch Redwood dugouts to get to other locations such as Tuluwat, Jourijiji and other sites,” Brian Mead, Wiyot Tribal Chair.  

 

“We are so grateful to be a part of the conservation story for this very special place, and I couldn’t think of a better way to begin the next chapter,” said Suzie Fortner, Friends of the Dunes Executive Director. “As the interim land manager, Friends of the Dunes has connected our community with the diverse and dynamic coastal habitats on this formerly private property. We’ve been inspired by the abundance of native plants and animals thriving here, by the plethora of mushrooms that emerge after the rain each fall, and by the impressive amount of wildflowers that bloom each spring. I’m equally inspired by the current land back efforts in California and grateful that our state agencies have supported this land return project here in Humboldt County. The Wiyot Tribe is the perfect recipient of this property for long-term management, and I know both the community and the environment will benefit from the Wiyot Tribe’s ongoing work of ecological and cultural restoration.”

 

In October 2020, Friends of the Dunes assumed temporary ownership of the land with the goal of transferring the property for long-term conservation management. “I am deeply inspired and overjoyed by the return of 357 acres to the Wiyot Tribe.” remarked Carla Avila-Martinez, Friends of the Dunes Board Member. “This land back is a small but powerful act of justice, acknowledging that the land was unjustly stolen and rightfully belongs to the Wiyot people. Indigenous stewardship has always been integral to the health of ecosystems. Returning ancestral lands is the most impactful climate action that can be taken. This milestone is just the beginning, and much more must be done. We are committed to supporting the Wiyot Tribe's ongoing efforts to restore their ancestral lands.”

 

Friends of the Dunes and the Wiyot Tribe would like to thank their many conservation partners who supported the acquisition of this property and the transfer to the Wiyot Tribe: California State Coastal Conservancy, California Natural Resources Department, Wildlife Conservation Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Bureau of Land Management, Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, Pacific Birds Joint Venture, Ducks Unlimited, and the Peninsula Community Collaborative.

 

For more information, please visit https://www.wiyot.us/ or https://www.friendsofthedunes.org/.

 

ABOUT THE WIYOT TRIBE

Wiyot people have lived in the Humboldt Bay region since time immemorial. The mission of the Wiyot Tribe is to exercise our tribal rights and promote our common welfare, to establish the supreme law of the Tribe, to provide for and protect our sovereign right to exercise self-government pursuant to our own laws, to protect and develop our lands and resources, and to promote and safeguard our aboriginal rights as Wiyot people. Even when faced in the past with termination and relocation policies, the Wiyot are resilient and have always come back to our land. After generations of hard work and persistence, the Wiyot are recognized leaders in the Land Back movement and the eco-cultural restoration of tribal lands. 

 

ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE DUNES

Since its establishment in 1982, Friends of the Dunes has actively engaged the community in the conservation of the coastal environments of Humboldt County, California. They envision a dynamic, naturally diverse coastal environment that is restored, sustained, and enjoyed for generations to come through the involvement of community members who embrace learning about and caring for the land. Friends of the Dunes is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the natural diversity of coastal environments in northern California through community-supported education and stewardship programs.

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Learn how to pronounce Digawututklh

Scan the QR code or click the link above.​​​

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Click below to download a PDF of the Samoa Dunes and Wetlands Trail Map. This map is geo-referenced for use in Avenza, a free App for your smartphone that allows you to track your location while you are exploring this property. 

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Samoa Dunes and Wetlands FAQs

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