Native American tribe reclaims Californian redwood forest

Native American tribal group from Northern California coast have announced today they are reclaiming an ancient redwood forest of 500 acres.

The InterTribunal Sinkyone Wilderness Council will receive the transfer of the land, located on the Lost Coast, announced Save the Redwoods League.  

The forest is considered a part of the ancestral heritage of the residents of the area. Therefore, 10 groups among the inhabitants have been selected to hold responsibility of protecting the land called Tc'ih-Léh-Dûñ, or "Fish Run Place," in the Sinkyone language.

The forest reportedly still has a large number of old-growth redwoods, as well as second-growth trees.

Priscilla Hunter, chairwoman of the Sinkyone Council, said it's fitting they will be caretakers of the land where her people were removed or forced to flee before the forest was completely stripped for timber.

"It's a real blessing," remarked Hunter, adding that it's like a healing for their ancestors. "I know our ancestors are happy. This was given to us to protect."

Earlier, in 2012, Save the Redwoods League worked with the InterTribunal Sinkyone Wilderness Council when it transferred a 164-acre plot to the group.

"The transfer marks a step in the growing Land Back movement to return indigenous homelands to the ancestors of those who lived there for millennia before European settlers arrived," reports NBCnews.

Sam Hodder, president and CEO of the league, said that opening access to the public is not a priority as the land is remote. "But it serves an important puzzle piece wedged between other protected areas."

"This is a property where you can almost tangibly feel that it is healing, that it is recovering," Hodder remarked.

"You walk through the forest and, even as you see the kind of ghostly stumps of ancient trees that were harvested, you could also in the foggy landscape see the monsters that were left behind as well as the young redwoods that are sprouting from those stumps."