Published: Jan. 10, 2025
Friends,
See this update from Shelly Covert about the Nisenan tribe's progress in transforming the former Woolman School property for the benefit of the Nisenan people.
from Paula Palmer
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Here we are together at the close of yet another year! 2024 was filled with joy, success, struggle, and learning. I want to share some of the year’s highlights with you. I share not only to deepen connection and mutual understanding, but to bring greater visibility to the amazing projects that are being implemented in 2025 and beyond.
CHIRP’s mission: to preserve, protect, and perpetuate Nisenan Culture stands at the center of our work and is carried out through our eight program areas. Each program area hosts a plethora of projects that serve the mission and support the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. We rely on grants and service contracts to fund this organization, but much of our work is supported directly through individual donations and the Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity Program (AHRP). If you are not already an AHRP supporter, I hope that you will take the time to learn more and consider engaging.
This year’s highlights (by no means “everything” but some of the things :-) )
- Homeland Return Fundraiser: we have raised over $2.5 million for the purchase of 232 acres of land called Yulia and to bring the land into compliance with the State of California and Nevada County.
- Yulia: five Tribal families are now housed on the land, working through the Conditional Use Permit and other compliance issues to get more Tribal members housed.
- Tribal Wellness Hub: we are funding Tribal youth development, Tribal healthcare workers, Elder support, reversing historical trauma, Cultural engagement to address substance use, and more.
- Tribal Land Restoration Crew: the Tribally led, seven member crew is now certified and getting on-the-ground work experience to support healthy landscapes and Culturally informed burns on local lands.
- The Arts: the Visibility Through Art Initiative continues to bring visitors through engaging exhibits that tell the Tribal stories of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe, exploring the erasure of Nisenan people.
- Nisenan Language: we have a stellar language team and incredible advisors working on a new publication for Nisenan language and digital use tools (keyboard, writing system, etc.)
- Capacity and Fund Development: we are deeply engaged in building internal capacity to continue our steady growth including hiring key staff and organizational development critical for a sustainable future.
- Cultural Revitalization: having a land base is at the center of Cultural Revitalization efforts for the Tribal community; a new layer of recovering our relationship with the land is underway.
- Community Education: we continue to share our history and identity with the larger community through education and engagement.
- Website Development: our updated website is a wonderful resource if you want to see our updates, continue engaging with our work, and learn more! Click here to visit our website.
On the horizon for 2025 and beyond -
- Federal Recognition: the ongoing fight to restore Federal Recognition continues into the new year. We hope that our sovereignty will be restored before we lose more Tribal Elders.
- Intern Program: we are seeking to build our intern program and are currently looking to engage with a language intern as well as an intern skilled in policy, governmental relations, and/or law, to support the Federal Recognition team.
- “Pamblo”: a new exhibit in ‘uba seo: Nisenan Arts and Culture coming in 2025 that focuses on an erased Nisenan leader, Pamblo.
- Land Back: opportunities to rematriate land increase for us as the landback movement takes hold. If you have land that you would like to donate please reach out and explore possibilities.
There is a palpable sense of gratitude and collective excitement that keeps our work moving forward every year. Your financial, emotional, and community driven contributions are part of what makes CHIRP the amazing organization that it is. Please remember that your financial contributions are tax deductible. Here's to a bright, shiny, and incredible 2025.
from Shelly Covert for Nisenan tribe, via Paula Palmer, Boulder Friends Meeting
