California Welcomes a New Era of Tribal Stewardship
Sacramento gathering highlights leadership on lands and waters and a first-of-its-kind state policy
In June, Tribal leaders, state officials, and partner organizations gathered in Sacramento, California, to celebrate a turn toward restoring Indigenous stewardship of the state’s natural resources. During the two-day Tribal Stewardship Convening hosted by the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), participants shared perspectives on increasing collaboration, expanding access to ancestral lands and waters, and honoring Tribal sovereignty.
For generations, California state policies excluded Indigenous peoples from accessing and managing their ancestral lands, undervalued their knowledge, and often criminalized cultural practices. Governor Gavin Newsom (D), writing on behalf of the state, acknowledged this history in his 2019 formal apology and executive order that established California’s Truth and Healing Council.
Redefining relationships
The Sacramento gathering reflects a broader shift underway in California between Tribes and the state. In 2024, the state enacted a bill to define co-management and co-governance agreements in law and encourage the CNRA to enter into such agreements with Tribes. And this year, the state launched a first-of-its-kind policy with a goal of expanding Tribal stewardship of land and water to an additional 7.5 million acres through a spectrum of actions under themes of access, collaboration, and ancestral land return.
The event also highlighted a growing consensus that investing in Tribal stewardship and new types of agreements between Tribes and the state serves not only to honor Tribal sovereignty, but also as a practical and effective approach to managing complex environmental challenges. Tribal leaders from all corners of California presented Indigenous stewardship practices as critical tools for addressing biodiversity loss, wildfire risk, and coastal resilience.
“Tribal stewardship is not a single action, it is a best practice. Through the return of our ancestral lands, meaningful collaboration and co-management with CNRA, and guaranteed access to the places that hold our history and ceremony, we are restoring our responsibility to care for the land as our ancestors intended,” said Chairwoman Erica M. Pinto of the Jamul Indian Village of California, one of the 12 Tribes of the Kumeyaay Nation. “These pathways honor our sovereignty, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure that future generations inherit a landscape that is healthy in spirit and in practice.”
A proven model: Tribal Marine Stewards Network
One example of successful Tribal stewardship in action is the Tribal Marine Stewards Network (TMSN), a growing alliance of California Tribal Nations working collaboratively to steward coastal and marine ecosystems. Formed in 2022 and supported by public and philanthropic investments, TMSN works to manage fisheries, monitor habitats, and protect culturally significant sites.
The model demonstrates how Tribal stewardship can improve ecological outcomes, strengthen local economies, and revitalize cultural practices. It also highlights the value of networked collaboration—bringing together multiple Tribes to share knowledge, resources, and capacity.
Next steps: Durable funding and legal frameworks
Although TMSN and similar initiatives show what’s possible, their success also underscores a central challenge raised at the CNRA convening: the need for permanent funding and shared governance. Without these elements, Tribal stewardship relationships with the state will remain a series of time-limited grants and pilot projects rather than a durable system.
Formalizing successful models, such as TMSN, in California law could help provide a more stable foundation for public and private investment. Fortunately, California can look to other parts of the globe for effective approaches, including the Indigenous Guardians programs in Canada and the Indigenous Rangers Program in Australia. By recognizing Tribal stewardship networks as part of California’s natural resource management framework, policymakers could unlock consistent, diverse funding streams and scale the effort and effect.
Building the future of co-stewardship
The CNRA convening made clear that California is at a pivotal moment. With policies in place and a growing set of successful Tribal-led initiatives, the state has an opportunity to move beyond pilot efforts and one-time investments to make co-stewardship a core component of natural resource management and a long-term commitment. Whether Tribes are able to reliably access the resources they need to steward their ancestral lands and waters over decades will ultimately determine whether this new era in California delivers lasting benefits for ecosystems, communities, and future generations.
Bobby Hayden works on The Pew Charitable Trusts’ U.S. conservation project.
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