See What’s Blooming
Spring Reflections
As the seasons shift and the land begins to awaken, we take a moment to reflect on the growth and momentum of the past year - and to share what’s blooming at CHIRP.
This spring, we’re celebrating the soft-launch of ‘Uba Seo Annex, public opening of a new section of the Deer Creek Tribute Trail along the Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor, and looking back on one year since meeting the Phase 1 fundraising goal for the Homeland Return Campaign.
All three moments speak to the heart of CHIRP’s mission: restoring Culture, land, and sovereignty for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.
New Segment of Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor
In December 2024, CHIRP celebrated the public opening of a new segment of the Deer Creek Tribute Trail (DCTT), which runs through the Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor (NCRC) along Angkula Seo (Deer Creek), in Nevada City.
Representatives from CHIRP, The Sierra Fund, and the Bear Yuba Land Trust gathered at the new trail segment for a ceremonial ribbon cutting and official opening. Photo by Laura Carroll
The 3,700-foot trail expansion along CHIRP and Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribally-owned land builds upon the broader Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor and Wildlife Space Reserve project - a collaborative effort between CHIRP, The California Natural Resource Agency, The Sierra Fund, and Bear Yuba Land Trust to restore access, Indigenous ecology, and Tribal visibility to this Ancestral landscape. The multi-year project includes securing funds, building the trail, reducing fuel load, removing invasive species, and restoring native habitats.
Winding through vibrant riparian landscapes and wildflower-laced oak woodlands, this newly completed trail segment celebrates the enduring relationship between the Nisenan people and the land.
Along the way, visitors will encounter interpretive signage that shares important Nisenan perspectives, knowledge, and historical truths - offering a pathway not only through nature but also through Culture, memory, and reconnection.
Interpretive signage along the newly opened trail segment of the Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor at Angkula Seo (Deer Creek)
As the weather warms and the land awakens, we invite you to lace up your walking shoes and visit the new trail segment.
Let the beauty of the landscape and the teachings on the signs guide your steps toward deeper understanding and relationship with the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.
Welcome to ’Uba Seo Annex
A new space for Art and Native jewelry in the heart of Nevada City
Currently featuring jewelry made by NCR Tribal Artist Heidi Noel
Soften Opening Hours
Tuesdays 10am - 1pm
Wednesday 1pm - 4pm
Housed at 205 York Street in Nevada City, ’Uba Seo Annex features handmade jewelry by Tribal members, original artwork by local artists, and decades of donated artwork.
All artworks are for purchase and 100% of the proceeds support CHIRP’s mission to preserve, protect, perpetuate Nisenan Culture.
Homeland Return Retrospective:
One Year Since Phase 1 Success
This April marks one year since a monumental achievement in CHIRP’s journey to return Ancestral Homelands to the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.
On April 4, 2024, after just 9.5 weeks and thanks to hundreds of supporters and deep community collaboration, CHIRP met its Phase 1 goal of $1.5 million for the Homeland Return campaign.
What followed was nothing short of awe-inspiring: by August 2024, over $2.5 million had been raised in total, ensuring not only the acquisition of Yulića - 232-acres of land that was once a thriving Nisenan ancestral village near Nevada City - but also the essential work needed to bring it into Tribal use.
Since then, the transformation has been swift and deeply meaningful:
Escrow closed in September 2024, legally securing Yulića for the Tribe
Updates to meet county and state codes are on schedule
Six Nisenan families have moved onto the land
Workshops in traditional fire knowledge and Tribal Arts Enrichment have taken place
Tribal gatherings and ceremony have returned to the land
NCR Nisenan Tribal Spokesperson and CHIRP Executive Director Shelly Covert visits with an Oak
For the first time since termination , the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe has a land base - a place to meet, to connect with the land, to reclaim Culture, and to dream into the future.
The Homeland Return campaign and purchase of Yulića exemplifies just one example of the many ways in which Tribes can regain pieces of their Ancestral Homeland. Our success was made possible by the support of over 3,000 donations.
To learn more about the Homeland Return and learn how you can continue to support the transformation and Cultural reclamation at Yulića, visit chirpca.org/homelandreturn
The growing beauty of the Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor and the renewal taking place at Yulića are made possible through the Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity Program (AHRP).
If your life is rooted on Nisenan ancestral land, we invite you to give in the spirit of reciprocity