Behind the Trail
The Story of the Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor
As part of CHIRP’s Land and People programming area, the Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor (NCRC) project is grounded in the understanding that the health of the Land and the well-being of the Nisenan People are deeply interconnected.
The NCRC is more than just a trail - it is a powerful example of Indigenous land stewardship in action.
Years of collaborative effort between the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe, CHIRP, The Sierra Fund, and Bear Yuba Land Trust have turned a legacy of environmental damage into a site of Cultural renewal, ecological healing, and community connection and education.
A segment of the newly opened trail expansion along NCRC
Brief History of Angkula Seo
For thousands of years, the Nisenan people have cared for Angkula Seo (Deer Creek) and the surrounding watershed. But like so many places in California, the Land and its Indigenous People were violently disrupted during the gold rush.
Deer Creek, 1930. Photo by Charles C. Pierce, University of Southern California Libraries and California Historical Society
The Champion Mine - one of Nevada County’s largest hard rock mining operations - operated here in the 1850s, leaving a legacy of contamination, ecological degradation, and disconnection from its Original Stewards. After mining operations ceased, the land continued to suffer under settler neglect, becoming an unsanctioned dumping ground.
In 2018, with the support of The Sierra Fund and California Natural Resources Agency, CHIRP secured a 32-acre parcel of land along Angkula Seo for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. It was the first time since termination that the Tribe regained private access to its Ancestral Homelands.
From there, the work began: years of planning, fundraising, collaboration, and physical labor transformed the land into the Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor - a publicly accessible segment of the Deer Creek Tribute Trail system and a restored landscape rich with Cultural meaning.
NCRC Elements
The development of the NCRC was guided by four foundational pillars:
Trail Building and Infrastructure: Establishing 3,700 feet of publicly-accessible trail, along with water infrastructure (a well, filtration system, and power) to assist stewardship efforts on the land
Cleanup and Toxin Remediation: Removing nearly 4,000 lbs of trash from the area, as well as continuing work to address legacy contamination
Fuel Reduction and Fire Management: Conducting forest thinning, pile burns, and future planned broadcast burns in line with Cultural fire practices to reduce wildfire risk
Native Planting and Ecological Restoration: Reintroducing Culturally meaningful Native plant species to restore the land and support biodiversity
Culturally-informed prescribed fire and fuel reduction work on NCRC land - restoring ecosystem balance while reducing wildfire risk through traditional stewardship practices
Each phase required enormous commitment, hands-on effort, and Cultural intention - all done with the goal of restoring the Land and the Tribe’s role as its caretakers.
Current Vision
While the public nature of the site prevents it from being used for Tribal ceremonies, the NCRC is now a safe and welcoming space for the Nisenan Tribe to gather, learn, and tend the land. It is especially vital as a place for Nisenan youth to come together, build relationships, and engage with their Cultural heritage on Ancestral Land.
The NCRC is also envisioned as a living classroom for the broader community. Through interpretive signage and future educational programming, visitors can learn about the history of the Land and its Original caretakers, native plant ecology, and Indigenous approaches to restoration and climate resilience.
Interpretive signage along the newly opened trail expansion at NCRC
We invite our community to visit the trail to experience firsthand the impacts of Indigenous-led land stewardship.
Pause at interpretive signs, learn about the Nisenan Tribe, and honor the history and continued presence of the Original stewards of this land.
Community Involvement
CHIRP welcomes the broader community to engage with the Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor and to join in its continued care through:
Trail Cleanup and Maintenance: Volunteer trail days in partnership with Bear Yuba Land Trust
Native Planting Events: Join upcoming events in Fall 2025 and Spring/Summer 2026 to help replant and tend Native habitats
Educational Events: Participate in future workshops focused on Tribal Ecological Knowledge, Native species, and environmental history
Walk the Trail with Intention: Visit the trail to experience firsthand the impacts of Indigenous-led land stewardship
Volunteers and Bear Yuba Land Trust staff work alongside CHIRP during trail construction, supporting public access through collaborative land stewardship
The Power of Return
The Nisenan Cultural Reclamation Corridor is a living example of Cultural revitalization, environmental restoration, and the power of returning land to its Indigenous Stewards.
It exemplifies how Tribally-led restoration efforts can heal damaged landscapes while creating spaces for learning, connection, and renewal.
Together, we can continue supporting this vital example of Tribally-led land reclamation, restoration, and education.
Representatives of CHIRP, The Sierra Fund, and the Bear Yuba Land Trust walk the newly opened trail segment along NCRC. Photo by Laura Carroll
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