Esselen Tribe Gets Land Back on Little Sur River

Tom Little Bear is President and Chairman of the Esselen tribe of Monterey County. He discusses the land back movement to return stolen lands from native tribes, and a recent 327 -acre land acquisition on the Little Sur River in Monterey County, facilitated by the Western Rivers Conservancy. Native tribes are leading the way on native plant restoration. eradication of non-native species, and healing from generational trauma through a reconciliation process that includes management of public lands and regaining their language and cultural practices after they were taken forcibly from them. We also hear from Peter Colby from the Western Rivers Conservancy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Press Release:

BIG SUR, Calif. (January 15, 2025) — In the heart of California’s magnificent Big Sur coast, Western Rivers Conservancy (WRC) has conveyed the 327-acre Pico Blanco property on the Little Sur River to the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County for permanent conservation and stewardship.

 

This property holds significant sacred and cultural meaning for the Tribe, as it is located at the base of a white limestone-topped mountain they call Pixchi (or Pico Blanco), which the Esselen Tribe considers the “Center of the Esselen World” and is where the Tribe’s creation story began. Ecologically, the land features 1.3 miles of the Little Sur River, which provides critical habitat for

 

numerous imperiled species, as well as one of the largest stands of old-growth redwoods on the Central Coast. The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) provided funding for the purchase of the property. See property map below.

 

Pico Blanco is the second important tract of ancestral land that WRC has conveyed to the Tribe. In July 2020, they completed a landmark conservation project that placed the 1,199-acre Adler Ranch (now renamed Eagle Peak), located roughly 20 miles south of Monterey and just a mile downstream from Pico Blanco, into Tribal ownership.

 

“The Pico Blanco area, defined by the Little Sur River, is the spiritual, cultural and geographical center for the Esselen Tribe,” said Tribal Chairman and President Tom Little Bear Nason. “To have the opportunity for our tribal members to reconnect with more of the river and these ancient redwoods fulfills a deeply meaningful part of our mission. We appreciate the spirit of partnership from Western Rivers Conservancy and California’s Wildlife Conservation Board that has made this possibl