‘History the correct way’: Yurok Tribe cuts ribbon on renovated Stone Lagoon center
The visitor center at Stone Lagoon reopened under Yurok tribal stewardship and with a new name following a long period of inactivity with a ceremony held on Thursday afternoon.
Yurok leaders cut the ribbon on the Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh “Stone Lagoon” Visitor Center in a ceremony attended by tribal members, representatives from the California State Parks system, Redwoods State and National Park leaders, California Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa) and U.S. representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), among others. The day’s festivities included keynote speeches, ceremonial songs, tours of the center, an update on native condor reintroduction efforts and a salmon pit cookout.
Yurok Tribe cultural resources director Rosie Clayburn said the tribe is the first in California to operate a state-owned visitor center under a joint powers agreement struck with the California State Parks system.
“We’re setting the stage for other tribes to be able to do the same thing that we’re doing, and we want this emulated across the state,” Clayburn said. “We look forward to people coming here and learning about our history from the people that are from here and the people that call this place home.”
Under the new agreement, the tribe will operate the center, maintain the structure and surrounding grounds. Inside the center, visitors will find tribal regalia displays, a room shaped like a traditional Yurok house hosting artifacts, a monitor with a live feed of the reintroduced condor roost and a gift shop area.
New informational and interpretive materials written from a Yurok perspective can also be found inside the center. The materials and exhibits were put together by a team of Yurok women.
“That’s the biggest change for me,” Clayburn stated. “When we first came in here, the interpretive panels were written from a very non-Native perspective, to put it nicely, and told a completely different story. Now we have the chance to change that narrative and actually tell history the correct way.”
Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh, the Yurok name for Stone Lagoon, is a place of great importance for the Yurok Tribe, as its waters provided inhabitants a place for hunting, fishing, gathering and performing traditional ceremonies such as the deerskin dance and jump dance, rituals believed to bring balance to the world in Yurok lore. The geological feature also hosts more than 200 avian species, making it a popular stop for bird watchers.
The tribe has pushed for greater involvement for the interpretation of similar sites for several years with no success. The tribe began to see progress once the North Coast Redwoods State Park came under the management of new superintendent Victor Bjelajac approximately two years ago. Clayburn and her team began to work on the site about a year ago.
“I hope public land managers from all over California and the entire U.S. use the partnership between the state park and the tribe as a blueprint to build solid working relationships with sovereign tribal nations in their regions,” Bjelajac said. “Our partnership on the visitor center, renaming of Sue-Meg State Park and condor restoration projects are only the beginning. I know we will embark on many more equally exciting endeavors in the not-so-distant future.”
California State Parks cultural resources consultant Greg Collins said once the previous operations lease ran out, they went to the Yurok Tribe for a collaboration. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the opening, he is glad to see the center up and running.
“It feels great being able to collaborate like this with our tribal partners and set precedent for other regions of the state,” Collins said. “We’re excited to be doing this and support the tribe in getting this together. This is very exciting”
Yurok Tribe chairman Joseph L. James stated the restoration of Yurok stewardship of the site is a significant step in the tribe’s healing.
“We are extremely proud to be the first tribe in California to operate a visitor center within the state park system. It is humbling to know this precedent sets the stage for many other tribes to follow suit. I would like (to) thank the North Coast Redwoods State Park for taking the time to build a reciprocal relationship with the tribe and taking action to correct a historic wrong,” chairman James said.
Prior to the ribbon-cutting and program, Wood received toured of the renovated center.
“It’s a beautiful center,” Wood said. “The time I spent with the interpreters here was really, really valuable and to hear them talk about their own culture, their own experiences and those of their families is something that needs to be passed on to everyone in California.”
Clayburn was moved to see the turnout and excitement for the ribbon cutting event.
“We’re just really honored that people are coming here today to celebrate with us … It’s just really humbling to see how many people care because it’s such a small building, but it carries so much power. It carries so much weight and it tells it an amazing story.”
By: MARIO CORTEZ
Source: Eureka Times-Standard
Next Article Previous Article