OUR MISSION
The Mission of the ETMC is to preserve and to protect our cultural heritage and ancestral sacred sites, namely of the Esselen, Rumsen, Chalone, Sureño, Chunchunes and Guatcharrone people, which includes but is not limited to the villages of Achasta, Chalon, Echilat, Ensen, Excelen, Esslenajan, Ixchenta, Jojopan, Kuchun, Pachepas, Sargenta-Ruc, Soccoronda, & Tucutnut, located within sacred pre-historic and historic tribal lands of Monterey County, California.
IN THE NEWS
Land Back
January 3, 2021 | Bay Nature
In the early 1950s, a Swedish dairy farmer and real estate magnate named Axel Adler came to California and fell in love with Big Sur. The rugged backcountry, the spring flowers, the redwoods tall over the clear Little Sur River, the waves crashing on the rocky coast.
Seven young condors set to be released in Big Sur
October 17, 2020 | The Herald
Seven young California condors will soon be released into the Central Coast flock as part of Monterey-based Ventana Wildlife Society’s ongoing efforts to rebuild the populations of the majestic bird that at one time was extremely close to extinction.
Seven young condors set to be released in Big Sur
October 17, 2020 | The Mercury News
BIG SUR — Seven young California condors will soon be released into the Central Coast flock as part of Monterey-based Ventana Wildlife Society’s ongoing efforts to rebuild the populations of the majestic bird that at one time was extremely close to extinction.
Condor Releases
October 15, 2020 | Ventana Wildlife Society
Twenty-Twenty has just been a terrible year for condors and as a result, we need to re-double our efforts to restore condors to the wild. Nine free-flying condors went missing since the Dolan Fire, as well as two chicks in nests perished, adding to several others that had died earlier in the year.
Online Film Festival Provides Insight into Traditional Ways of Knowing
October 12, 2020 | Native News Online
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — For the first time, the Wild and Scenic Film Festival “where activism gets inspired” tour is available through remote access to encourage land stewardship, including films focused on Indigenous ways of knowing.
On Native American Day, Governor Gavin Newsom Takes Action to Restore Land, Promote Equity for California Native Communities
September 26, 2020 | Sierra Sun Times
As leaders of Native American tribes from across California virtually gathered to celebrate the 53rd Annual Native American Day, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed Friday.
Esselen Tribe Regains Land 250 Years After Being Removed
August 4, 2020 | Bright Vibes
Last week, the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County closed escrow on 1,199 acres (485 hectares) about 5 miles (8 kilometers) inland from the ocean that was part of a $4.5 million deal involving the state and the Western Rivers Conservancy.
More Than 1 Thousand Acres Of Esselen Ancestral Land Returned To Tribe
August 2, 2020 | Iowa Public Radio
The Esselen Tribe of Big Sur, Calif., numbered perhaps only a thousand people when Spanish missionaries arrived in the 1700s. They were sent to missions to be converted, where most perished from disease. And it seemed then that their land, all of which was taken, was lost to them forever.
Esselen Tribe Regains Ancestral Land in Big Sur After 250 Years
August 1, 2020 | Inside Hook
You may have never heard of the Esselen tribe, but the relatively small Indigenous group lived for about 8,000 years in one of our country’s most iconic outdoor destinations: Big Sur. The tribe was driven off its ancestral lands by Spanish colonizers, but this week, after 250 years, they regained a small but meaningful piece back.
Esselen Tribe closes deal on Big Sur land, but won't build on it
July 31, 2020 | The Carmel Pine Come
WITH THE news that the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County has acquired a 1,200-acre property in Big Sur for $4.5 million, the obvious question is what the tribe might be planning to build there. But this week, tribal chairman Tom Little Bear Nason put to rest any speculation.
After 6,000 Years, Native American Tribe Finally Wins Big Sur Land Back
July 31, 2020 | The Californian
The area that the Esselen Tribe recently re-acquired last week sits along the Little Sur River, nestled within the hills of Big Sur. The 1,199-acre site, formerly known as Adler Ranch, is a conservationist's dream.
After 6,000 Years, Native American Tribe Finally Wins Big Sur Land Back
July 31, 2020 | Green Matters
The Esselen Tribe of Monterey County inhabited land across the Big Sur coast of California for more than 6,000 years — until several centuries ago, when Spanish colonizers seized their territory. Now, after 250 landless years, the small Native American tribe is finally getting some justice, as they have just regained ownership of their land.
After 250 years, Esselen Tribe regains a piece of its ancestral homeland
July 31, 2020 | Los Angeles Times
After 250 years, the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County is returning home.
A $4.5-million land deal, brokered by Portland-based environmental group Western Rivers Conservancy, will return a 1,199-acre parcel of wilderness along the Little Sur River to the tribe in the name of conservation and cultural resilience.
July 31, 2020 | The Olympic Peninsula Environmental News
This is not about our Peninsula, nor the Pacific NW. But the story how this tiny West Coast tribe, almost wiped out and by most people, assumed dead and gone, have revived themselves and their lands, is a story worth telling.
Native American Tribe Reclaims Old-Growth Redwood Ancestral Lands After 250 Years
July 30, 2020 | The Epoch Times
The money came from a 2018 voter-approved parks and water bond that included $60 million for competitive grants to acquire Native American natural, cultural, and historic resources in California.
Big Sur Land Will Be Returned to Esselen Tribe After Two Centuries
July 30, 2020 | Adventure Journal
The Little Sur River runs through it. A parcel of 1,200 acres of classic Big Sur scenery: Redwoods, oak, chaparral, sage, and the sharp edges of the Coastal Range. It’s called Adler Ranch, and, after 250 years, it’s being returned to the Indigenous Esselen Tribe that once called it home, before the missions came.
Native American tribe regains ownership of Big Sur ancestral lands
July 30, 2020 | Fox 5
The land, which was known as the Adler Ranch, first came to the attention of WRC in 2015 when the long time owners had being trying to sell the property for years, Sue Doroff, president of WRC, told CNN on Wednesday.
July 30, 2020 | SFist
The recent cultural conversations and statue topplings of Franciscan missionary Father Junipero Serra have rekindled the conversation over the genocide, enslavement, and land theft that were the ugly underbelly of the establishment of Spanish missions along the Pacific coast.
After 250 years, Native American tribe regains ancestral lands in California: 'It is our homeland, the creation story of our lives'
July 29, 2020 | The Hill
A Native American tribe originating from Big Sur, Calif., secured a deal that finally returned a portion of their ancestral lands to them — 250 years after it was taken.
After 250 Years, Tribe Regains Big Sur Ancestral Lands
July 29, 2020 | Native News Online
“We are beyond thrilled to have closed escrow this past week on the sacred lands in Big Sur, California. Thank you to everyone who has supported this process and especially to our dedicated partners at the Western Rivers Conservancy,” the Esselen tribe said in a Facebook post.
After 250 years, Native American tribe regains ownership of Big Sur ancestral lands
July 29, 2020 | CNN
"These lands are home to many ancient villages of our people, and directly across the Little Sur River sits Pico Blanco or 'Pitchi', which is the most sacred spot on the coast for the Esselen People and the center of our origin story."
Calif. Native American Tribe Reclaims Ancestral Land Stolen 250 Years Ago: 'The Highest Honor'
July 29, 2020 | People
Nearly 250 years after Spanish soldiers displaced the Esselen Tribe from their home on the Northern California coast, the Native American group has purchased some of the land that was stolen from them so long ago, according to local reports.grant
Big Sur tribe regains land 250 years after being removed
July 28, 2020 | East Bay Times
Nearly 250 years ago, when Spanish soldiers built a military outpost in Monterey and Franciscan padres founded the Carmel, Soledad, and San Antonio missions nearby, the Esselen tribe — who had lived in the area for 8,000 years — was decimated.
California Indian tribe gets back Big Sur ancestral lands
July 28, 2020 | ABC7
"It is beyond words for us, the highest honor," said Tom Little Bear Nason, chairman of the tribe. "The land is the most important thing to us. It is our homeland, the creation story of our lives. We are so elated and grateful."
California Indian tribe gets back Big Sur ancestral lands
July 28, 2020 | News Break
The Esselen tribe is getting nearly two square miles of its ancestral lands in the heart of Big Sur back with the closing of a complicated real estate deal that has been in the works for more than a year. Ownership of a 1,199-acre undeveloped private property long known as...
California Indian tribe gets back Big Sur ancestral lands
July 28, 2020 | U.S. News
The Portland, Oregon-based Western Rivers Conservancy initially negotiated to purchase the property and transfer it to the U.S. Forest Service. But some area residents were concerned about potential increased use of the land by visitors and the agency’s ability to care for the land.
California Indian Tribe Gets Back Big Sur Ancestral Lands
July 28, 2020 | The New York Times
The Esselen Tribe of Monterey County closed escrow on 1,199 acres (485 hectares) about 5 miles (8 kilometers) inland from the ocean that was part of a $4.5 million deal involving the state and the Western Rivers Conservancy, The Mercury News reported Monday.
California Indian tribe gets back Big Sur ancestral lands
July 28, 2020 | The San Luis Obispo Tribune
The Esselen Tribe of Monterey County closed escrow on 1,199 acres (485 hectares) about 5 miles (8 kilometers) inland from the ocean that was part of a $4.5 million deal involving the state and the Western Rivers Conservancy, The Mercury News reported Monday.
Big Sur tribe regains land 250 years after being removed
July 28, 2020 | Monterey Herald
The purchase secures a property for the tribe slightly larger than San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Located along Palo Colorado Road on the north side of the Little Sur River about 20 miles south of Monterey and 5 miles inland from the ocean, the land features endangered steelhead trout, old-growth redwoods, oak woodlands and meadows along scenic ridge tops.
California Indian tribe gets back Big Sur ancestral lands
July 28, 2020 | The Fresno Bee
“It is beyond words for us, the highest honor,” said Tom Little Bear Nason, chairman of the tribe. “The land is the most important thing to us. It is our homeland, the creation story of our lives. We are so elated and grateful.”
Big Sur tribe regains land 250 years after being removed
July 28, 2020 | Monterey Herald
In a deal rich with historic significance, the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County closed escrow to purchase 1,199 acres in Big Sur as part of a $4.5 million acquisition involving the state and an Oregon-based environmental group.
Big Sur tribe regains land 250 years after being removed
July 27, 2020 | The Mercury News
Nearly 250 years ago, when Spanish soldiers built a military outpost in Monterey and Franciscan padres founded the Carmel, Soledad, and San Antonio missions nearby, the Esselen tribe — who had lived in the area for 8,000 years — was decimated.
Big Sur tribe regains land 250 years after being removed
July 27, 2020 | Santa Cruz Sentinel
Nearly 250 years ago, when Spanish soldiers built a military outpost in Monterey and Franciscan padres founded the Carmel, Soledad, and San Antonio missions nearby, the Esselen tribe — who had lived in the area for 8,000 years — was decimated.
In Big Sur, a big win for the Esselen Tribe and the Little Sur River
July 27, 2020 | Western Rivers Conservancy
Just beyond earshot of the crashing waves of the Big Sur coast, Western Rivers Conservancy has completed an unprecedented conservation project that establishes a sanctuary for imperiled fish, wildlife and Native American culture along Central California’s Little Sur River.
Big Sur land returns to Esselen Tribe after 250 years
July 27, 2020 | Monterey County Weekly
The Esselen tribe is getting nearly two square miles of its ancestral lands in the heart of Big Sur back with the closing of a complicated real estate deal that has been in the works for more than a year. Ownership of a 1,199-acre undeveloped private property long known as the Adler Ranch is being transferred..
In Big Sur, a Big Step for Steelhead, Redwoods and the Little Sur River
January 2, 2020 | Western Rivers Conservancy
Each fall on the Big Sur coast, steelhead swim from the ocean surf and enter the Little Sur River to spawn beneath some of the southernmost redwood forests in the world. In this majestic and critically important place, Western Rivers Conservancy is partnering with the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County...
At Long Last, Smallest Native Californian Tribe Has Land To Call
December 22, 2019 | Good News Network
Although the history of Native American indigenous peoples have unquestionably been filled with hardship, the Esselen Tribe in California—maybe the smallest native tribe in the country—has perhaps struggled the most. But now, thanks to a historic deal, it has gotten its land back...
Deal pending for Esselen tribe to buy ranch
October 18, 2019 | Carmel Pine Cone
If all goes according to plan, it won't be a Silicon Valley executive or a land conservation group that soon takes ownership of a remote 1,200-acre ranch in Big Sur but a Native American tribe with deep local roots. But the takeover is not a done deal yet, despite local media reports...
Esselen Tribe of Monterey County Receives $4.5 Million Grant from California Natural Resources Agency
October 17, 2019 | Western Rivers Conservancy
As a result of a partnership between the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County(ETMC) and Western Rivers Conservancy, the tribe received a $4,520,000 grant last week from the California Natural Resources Agency that will fund the tribe’s acquisition of sacred indigenous lands in the heart of Big Sur, California...
The Esselen of Big Sur are landless no more, thanks to a $4.5 million state grant
October 10, 2019 | Monterey County Weekly
At first, the area was known as Sargenta-Ruc, a Native American village with a view of Pixchi, or Pico Blanco Mountain, the center of creation in Esselen culture. Then the Spanish colonized California, and the Mexicans came along, and the area got the name Rancho Aguila, or Eagle Ranch...
Conserving a crucial steelhead stream in the heart of Big Sur's redwoods
October 7, 2019 | Western River Conservancy
Amidst the world’s southernmost naturally occurring redwoods and within earshot of the waves of the Big Sur coastline, Western Rivers Conservancy is working to conserve an 1,199-acre ranch along the Little Sur River...
Natural Resources Agency Announces Awards to Protect Cultural, Community & Natural Resources
October 2, 2019 | California Natural Resources Agency
“These awards are a unique opportunity to help protect and celebrate important cultural resources while also building climate resiliency and expanding access to recreation,” California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said...
Esselen Tribe of Monterey County awarded $4.5 million for conservation project
October 2, 2019 | KION 5/46 News
The California Natural Resources Agency announced $37 million in funding for 21 projects, and some of that will be going to the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County. The funding is for projects in the Cultural, Community and Natural Resources grant program funded by Proposition 68...
Steelhead numbers are up in the Carmel River
May 15, 2019 | KSBW
Conservationists are rejoicing this spring over Steelhead Trout numbers in the Carmel River.
"The count is up," said Haley Ohms a project scientist with University of California Santa Cruz.
Ohms studies the fish on the Central Coast and tracks the return numbers.
With Dam Gone, California River Comes Back to Life
February 6, 2017 | KQED
The old dam impeded the fish’s migration to and from the ocean. There was a fish ladder, but it was the steepest fish ladder in western North America. Over time, the steelhead population dwindled from 1,350 in 1965 to 249 in 2013, the year the dam closed.