Welcome To Our Homeland

Welcome To Our Homeland. . , As the Nuümü and Newe peoples, we are the responsible caretakers of Payahuunadu (The Place Where the Water Always Flows) since time immemorial. Our cultural and spiritual beliefs are rooted in a sacred relationship to the land. For generations, our people have thrived in Payahuunadu, utilizing our integral knowledge of the land and waterways. Indigenous. communities engineered and managed over sixty square miles of intricate irrigation systems for millennia. These systems were designed to disperse snowmelt across vast expanses of native flora, notably na'havita and tüpüsi integral components of our food cultivation systems. Our way of life is intricately connected to the land and water, and we have always understood the importance of Indigenous reciprocity within our ecosystem. , , By nurturing and expanding our relationships with community members, we lay the groundwork for a future that encompasses the principles of ShareWater, ShareLand, and ShareLife. , , History of Payahuunadü , In the 1850s, white settlers and cattle ranchers encroached upon the valley, displacing the Indigenous people despite previous assurances from government officials that the land would be reserved for Indigenous use. This ultimately led to forced removal from our homelands in 1863, where over 900 Nüümü/Newe people were marched to Fort Tejon nearly 300 miles away by the United States Cavalry. Eventually making our way back home, we discovered our waterways and irrigated lands were stolen by ranchers and farmers who were using our ditches and canals to grow corn, wheat, alfalfa, and other commercial crops. We recreated our communities within these places and became indispensable day laborers on the settler farms and ranches. , , The situation changed in the 1890s when Los Angeles and its agents began purchasing land in the valley, primarily for water rights. The construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in Owens Valley led to significant hardships for the Nüümü/Newe people, as it caused a rapid decline in farming and ranching operations, resulting in job loss and displacement. A 1937 land exchange, authorized by Congress without allowing the voices of the Indigenous community to be heard, favored Los Angeles by relinquishing significant land and water rights in exchange for much smaller land bases and a fraction of water delivery. This exchange left the Indigenous community voiceless and without the land and water needed to sustain our way of life and future generations, resulting in the loss of livelihood, displacement, limited access to resources, and a lack of representation for Indigenous peoples in decision-making processes. , , Resilience and Self-Determination , Despite formidable obstacles, the Nüümü/Newe people are still here, advocating and fighting for our rights. We actively strive to address this land and water inequality through cooperation with diverse organizations and supportive allies dedicated to advancing movements for a thriving and sustainable homeland. Our priorities and focus are to establish and nurture relationships while actively seeking the return of land and water.