“This issue [connection to homelands] has been a heartache for my immediate family for more than a century. To feel a sense of reparation is uplifting and relieving.” -FTBMI Tribal Citizen
After a week of snow flurries and icy roads, the valley was bathed in sunshine and a warm breeze one Saturday afternoon. Just in time for the arrival of two hundred Fernandeño Tataviam Citizens, coming together for their annual Family Reunion celebration, Yarmar Kehaai.
This year, the gathering took place in a special location: Mumuyuk Monmonkik, the first land returned to the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians (FTBMI) in over 150 years. Tribal Citizens came from far and wide to see and enjoy the land that had been recently donated to the Tataviam Land Conservancy (TLC).
The energy was palpable as family members ate homemade barbeque potluck, sang cultural songs, and played games. Excitement, hope, and ease were abundant in the crisp spring air. As folks hiked through the California juniper scrub hills, they talked about their visions for the land. Running, camping, native plant gathering, star gazing—the possibilities felt endless, especially for the kids who ran around exploring with open eyes and ears.
Throughout the day, many people expressed the same sentiment: freedom. Freedom to access the land, care for it, and enjoy it without restrictions or threats. This land was communal, and it couldn’t be taken away.
TLC envisions this land return as the first of many, one in a mosaic of accessible and beneficial spaces throughout the Tribal territory. Land is the cornerstone of Tribal sovereignty, and TLC will continue to work towards its return, now and into the future.
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