After 175 Years, Indigenous Communities Reclaim Ancestral Lands

Freedom Socialist newspaper, Vol. 47, No. 1, February-March 2026

socialism.com

By Sukey Wolf

Finally, a portion of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation’s land has been returned. In late 2025, the tribe received back into its care almost 900 acres in an area that buffers Yosemite National Park. A rare win for Native people.

Who are the Miwuk? 

Since the arrival of the Spaniards in 1595, the story of this Indigenous group has been one of subjugation, betrayal, genocide and land theft.

According to Wikipedia, the nation is made up of “members of four linguistically related Native American groups” that once occupied a vast territory from central to northern California. Their lands extended from the San Francisco Bay to what are now Marin, Sonoma and Lake Counties, east to the Sierra mountain range and north to the Sacramento Delta. 

They were divided into villages of fifty to one hundred individuals united by a common language and cultural practices. They were egalitarian, with both men and women sharing leadership duties.

In the 1850s, the Southern Sierra Miwuk people were evicted from their land by the formation of Yosemite National Park. The return of these acres to the nation begins to reverse this history of theft and degradation.

The parcel in question was purchased 20 years ago by the Pacific Forest Trust, a non-profit devoted to conservation and land restoration. The trust acquired it after developers tried to build vacation homes on it. Pacific Forest Trust then partially restored the space before it was transferred to the tribe. 

A new era for land stewardship

The Miwuk have been working to protect Mother Earth for centuries. They have a long history of setting fires to burn off underbrush and thin trees to prevent wildfires. This notion of intentionally setting fires to protect the forest was once regarded as primitive by early European settlers and outlawed by the California legislature. However, the wisdom of it was finally realized and the practice was adopted by the California Forestry Service in 1978.

The latest transfer of land does more than help in fire management. In a Seattle Times article, Miwuk Tribal Secretary Tara Fouch-Moore stated, “We will be able to harvest and cultivate our traditional foods, fibers and medicines and steward the land.” And they will be able to teach this to the nonindigenous population of California. In light of the current climate crisis, the perspective of Native people is more important than ever.  

Today, the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation looks forward to inhabiting the nearly 900-acre tract and returning to some of their traditional ways. Tribal Council Chair Sandra Chapman believes getting this ancestral Yosemite land back will provide a place of healing for the tribe’s youth and bring the community together to celebrate tradition. 

Truly, this is a well-deserved victory for this Indigenous people.