While walking recently on an Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary trail past the power-line tower near Allen Marsh and South G Street, I spotted a large turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) perched on the top of the tower with its wings outstretched to dry in the morning sunlight. Looking through my telephoto lens, I noticed a […]
Yurok Tribe
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State Commission Votes to ‘Restore the Name Sue-meg,’ Remove Patrick’s Point from Park’s Name
The State Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously today to — as one commission described — “restore the name of Sue-meg” to the unit currently known as Patrick’s Point State Park to honor the designation used by the Yurok people for the area since time immemorial. “This genuinely historic decision represents a turning point in […]
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Yurok Tribe Nabs $30 Million Education Grant
The Yurok Tribe was awarded a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Promise Neighborhoods to create a regional five-year effort for a “cradle-school-career pathway project” that will build programs and support services for students in Del Norte County. “The Yurok Education Department is excited about what this grant means for our families, […]
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State Parks Seeks Public Input on Patrick’s Point Name Change to Honor Yurok Tribe
California State Parks is seeking public input on a proposal to change Patrick’s Point State Park to Sue-meg State Park to honor the original name as used by the Yurok Tribe since time immemorial. “At the formal request of the Yurok Tribe to rename the park, State Parks supports the proposal to change the park […]
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Yurok Tribal Council Unanimously Rejects Proposed Purdue Pharma Opioid Settlement
The Yurok Tribal Council voted unanimously last week to oppose the proposed bankruptcy settlement agreement and restructuring plan for OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma, saying it amounts to a “sweetheart settlement” for the billionaire Sackler family, which owns the pharmaceutical giant. “There is no justice in this settlement,” Tribal Chair Joseph James said in a press […]
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Newsom Visits Klamath, Talks Drought, Dams and More
California Gov. Gavin Newsom spent some time in a dugout redwood canoe on the Klamath River yesterday while visiting with Yurok Tribal leaders. A Yurok Tribe press release today reports that Chair Joseph James and vice-Chair Frankie Myers took Newsom down a “singularly beautiful” stretch of the river before discussing the ongoing drought, the juvenile […]
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Historic Klamath Dam Removal Project Takes Another Step Forward
The Federal Energy Regulatory Committee today paved the way for the four dams clogging the Klamath River to be taken down, approving a transfer of the hydroelectric license from PacifiCorp to the nonprofit Klamath River Renewal Corporation and the states of Oregon and California. “Since 2016, PacifiCorp, along with a coalition of state and federal […]
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A ‘Way of Life at Risk’: A Yurok Tribal Member’s Congressional Testimony
The catastrophic drought that is striking the West seems to have gotten the attention of Congress. On May 25, North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman chaired a virtual bipartisan hearing on the status of drought conditions in an area that extends from the Rio Grande to the Pacific Northwest. Huffman is no stranger to environmental issues, […]
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Yurok Connect Launches Internet Benefit Program
The Yurok Reservation’s internet service provider Yurok Connect has launched an Emergency Broadband Benefit program that will provide free digital devices and a monthly service discount to eligible customers. “This new program will provide virtually free internet service to those who are having trouble making ends meet during this challenging time. It is going to […]
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Condo of Condors Making Themselves at Home, Causing Quite a Scene
With the countdown on to the first California condors making their way back to the wilds of Humboldt County in a century, a group of the endangered birds — a gathering known as a “condo” or a “scarcity” — has taken a liking to one woman’s deck, roof and yard, apparently creating quite the scene. […]
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Yurok, Karuk Tribes Join Coalition to Ask for Federal Aid Due to Extreme Drought Predictions
The Yurok and Karuk Tribes, along with the Klamath Tribes of Oregon, have united with Klamath Basin conservationists and commercial fishermen to jointly sign a letter asking the Biden administration for significant financial relief to all Klamath Basin communities in response to extreme drought predictions. The Karuk Tribe, the Yurok Tribe, the Klamath Tribes of […]
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Frontier Communications Corp. to Pay Yurok Tribe $500K, Invest Millions in Internet Infrastructure
The Yurok Tribe is a few steps closer to completing its mission to bring fast-speed internet to the reservation after the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a settlement requiring the Frontier Communications Corporation to pay $500,000 for reimbursement losses for service failures and to invest $5 million in the Yurok Tribe’s effort to build internet […]