California tribes navigate a range of priorities and opportunities, so leaders gathered recently in Los Angeles to forge a united front and to celebrate a new podcast.

“Reclaiming Our Stories: Voices of Indigenous Peoples of California” is from the nonprofit California Humanities, part of a nationwide initiative led by the Federation of State Humanities Councils in partnership with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

Erica Pinto, chair of the California Tribal Chair Association and the Indian Village of California, praised the state’s “land back” program but said it should provide maximum flexibility.

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“San Ysabel, for example, just got thousands of acres back," Pinto observed. "When we get that land back, I would like to see no strings attached because that's true sovereignty.”

The leaders spoke of the importance of protecting the environment to ensure survival. They emphasized economic self-sufficiency and the benefits of cross-tribal cooperation. A discussion guide and an exhibition at the California Museum are in the works.

Darlene Franco, chairperson of the Wukchumni Tribe near Visalia, said some tribes face obstacles in gaining federal recognition. Many form 501(c)(3)s to protect their people and their land.

“Sovereignty is the ability to follow our things that were handed down to us. Our creation stories tell us that we were created by the animal people, and we were given instructions. Take care of each other, take care of the land and the water,” Franco outlined.

Juan Reynoso, a 2Spirit Ipai-Kumeyaay from the San Pasqual Band of Kumeyaay Indians, said tribes came together during the first Trump administration to mourn the separation created by new sections of the border wall.

“We would show up at that wall every day for the entire summer, and we would meet our relatives from the South at the wall. We couldn't see each other, and we would just pray, and we would sing. We chose to show up for each other during the most harsh times,” Reynoso recounted.

Tribes also called for full funding for the Indian Health Service, saying any cuts would lead to new trauma, given the long history of generational harm inflicted in the past when Indigenous children were forced into state boarding schools where their native language and cultural practices were forbidden.