California Heritage:
Indigenous Research Project
A Tribally-Guided Nonprofit Supporting the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe
California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP) is a Tribally-guided nonprofit dedicated to Preserving, Protecting, and Perpetuating Nisenan Culture
Due to its illegal federal termination in 1964, the Nevada City Rancheria (NCR) Nisenan Tribe is barred from accessing federal programming and services that support Tribal communities. To address the legal vacuum created by the Tribe’s federal disbandment, CHIRP acts as proxy for the NCR Nisenan Tribe.
Together, CHIRP and the NCR Tribal Council work to identify, fund, and implement programs and projects to address and mitigate the ongoing social, environmental and racial injustices brought to the Tribe’s Homelands in 1848, until the time when the Tribe’s federal recognition and sovereignty is restored.
To Preserve, Protect, and perpetuate Nisenan Culture
Mission:
In the fall of 2023, CHIRP and the NCR Nisenan Tribe were presented with an opportunity to purchase 232 acres of land near Nevada City, California. This land was once part of the thriving Nisenan community and town called Yulića.
After a tremendously successful grassroots campaign, CHIRP fundraised over $2.5 million dollars and escrow finally closed in September 2024 following a lengthy negotiation with local government, the sellers, and county code enforcement.
As with many Indigenous traditions, the Tribe’s health and its culture are symbiotic with the Land - neither People nor Land can thrive without relationship to the other. As such, the purchase and rematriation of Yulića provides a tremendous potential for stability and healing for the Tribe, the environment, and the fabric of the Sierra Nevada foothills community.
Homeland Return
Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity Program
Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity Program’s (AHRP) is a community-driven financial support initiative to cultivate Reciprocal Relationship between the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe and the broader community.
This voluntary program facilitates a symbiotic relationship between settlers living on Nisenan Ancestral Homelands through monthly financial contributions. In supporting AHRP, community members contribute to the stability of CHIRP so that it may grow in its capacity to achieve its mission, including improved living standards of Tribal members, advocacy for Tribal sovereignty and Land rematriation, and Cultural preservation and revitalization.
‘Uba Seo Gallery
‘UBA SEO: Nisenan Arts and Culture is CHIRP’s brick and mortar space in downtown Nevada City featuring gallery exhibits, art, and a custom theater.
It is a platform to story-tell through the lens of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.