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Nearly 360 acres of coastal dunes and wetlands are back in the hands of the Wiyot Tribe.

Tribal leaders, local elected officials, environmentalists and other noteworthies gathered at the Samoa Women’s Club today to celebrate the long-awaited return of Digawututklh [pronunciation], formerly known as the Samoa Dunes and Wetlands Conservation Area, a 357-acre swath of sand dunes, maritime forest and seasonal wetlands on the Samoa Peninsula. The land return ceremony featured speeches from numerous local leaders, as well as songs and dances from Wiyot Tribal members.

“As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Keep your eyes on the prize,’” said Cheryl Seidner, a former Chairwoman of the Wiyot Tribe. “And that prize is for all of us to see the [return] of the land that was taken away from us.”

Friends of the Dunes has spent the last 25 years working with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, the Wildlife Conservation Board, the California Natural Resources Agency, the California State Coastal Conservancy and others to acquire the peninsula site, also known as Dog Ranch, for long-term conservation management. In 2005, Friends of the Dunes secured the funding needed to purchase the property but those plans were stymied when Eureka businessman Rob Arkley swooped in at the eleventh hour to outbid the non-profit. 

The property was listed for sale in 2014 and eventually sold to a coalition of local and state conservation groups. Friends of the Dunes assumed temporary ownership of the property in October 2020 with the goal of transferring the property for long-term management.

“Today, we celebrate the return of Digawututklh,” said Wiyot Tribal Chair Brian Mead. “Traditionally, the Wiyot people lived along the Samoa Peninsula. This area was a place where we gathered food … caught surf fish and dug plants to feed our families. The forest here is peppered and plants that we traditionally use for our culture. … We hope to restore this place and return to our cultural practices.”

“Friends of the Dunes has been involved in protecting this site for more than 30 years, but that pales in comparison to the generations of Wiyot who have had a relationship with this land, which is now being returned,” said Friends of the Dunes board member Carol Vander Meer. “We pledge our support in whatever ways are helpful to the Tribe, be that in assisting with guided walks, securing funding for ongoing stewardship or collaborative work days. We would be honored to play a supporting role in ensuring that this place continues to be revered and protected and enjoyed for generations to come.”

Humboldt County Supervisor Natalie Arroyo acknowledged that it can be easy to get bogged down by the “bureaucratic stuff” that comes with working in politics, but noted that “this is one of those moments” that makes it all worth it.

“It is incredible to be here and to be able to – not take credit for – but bear witness to and celebrate together what people have spent their entire life working toward,” Arroyo said, her voice wavering with emotion. “This is one of those moments.”

Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel briefly spoke about the historic return of Tuluwat Island, which was approved by the Eureka City Council in 2019, and the importance of the Land Back Movement.

“Why land back? Because it’s the right thing to do,” Bergel said. “To be able to witness this here today, and to be a part of that in the past has been a real, a real blessing to me. … Hopefully, the healing will continue and we’ll move forward.”

Keep scrolling for more pictures of today’s land return ceremony. 

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PREVIOUSLY: 

• Friends of the Dunes Temporary Management of 357 Acres of Samoa Dunes, Wetlands and Coastal Forest; Organization Looking Outside to Determine Permanent Ownership of Dog Ranch Property
• Harbor District, Friends of the Dunes Develop Agreement With Security National to Acquire Oceanfront Dog Ranch, Conservation Group Announces
• “Buying binge reflects his vision, Arkley says,” NCJ, April 28, 2005