Truth + Visibility
Anchored in the imperative to reclaim and honor authentic narratives, this area of CHIRP’s work amplifies the voices of the Nisenan people by sharing untold histories, addressing erasure, and advocating for the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe’s rightful recognition and representation.
Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity
The Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity Program (AHRP) is a community-driven financial support initiative to cultivate Reciprocal Relationship between the NCR Nisenan Tribe and the broader community that contributes to the stability of CHIRP, so that it may grow in its capacity to improve living standards of Tribal members, advocate for Tribal sovereignty and Land rematriation, and Cultural preservation and revitalization.
We Are Still Here
This NorCal Emmy award-winning collaborative film created with the Yuba Water Agency and South Yuba River Citizens League explores the impact of the gold rush on the Nisenan People and their fight to save their Culture
Erased
The "Erased" exhibit, originally hosted at ‘Uba Seo: Nisenan Arts & Culture, unveils the hidden history of the Nisenan Tribe during the gold rush - a period that brought devastation to Indigenous communities yet is often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
Changing Perspectives
For 2023 Nisenan Heritage Day Megan Renoir, opened with a presentation titled Changing Perspectives: Correcting the Narrative Through Ethics-Driven Collaborations and Research. Her presentation was followed by a thought-provoking conversation with Geoff of the Lunacy Podcast, a legal update and discussion with the Tribe’s attorney Frank Lawrence about the ongoing fight for federal recognition, and a closing conversation with linguist Benjamin Yang, who is working closely with the Tribe to support the revitalization of the Nisenan language.
Frameworks for Truth: Madley
During Building a Framework for Truth, Historian Benjamin Madley discussed his groundbreaking book, An American Genocide, which meticulously documents the California government’s active role in genocidal policies against Indigenous populations. He and Tribal Spokesperson Shelly Covert also discuss the direct impact and violence experienced by the NCR Nisenan Tribe.
Frameworks for Truth: Reznick
During Building a Framework for Truth, photo-historian Jordan Reznick presented their current research examining how Indigenous ecological science shaped nineteenth-century landscapes. Through examination of landscape photographs from colonial expansion to the West, Reznick teases apart the vastly different perceptions of the land as seen through settlers and Indigenous lens, challenging narratives that frame these landscapes as “untouched wilderness.”
Bridging Complicated Pasts
NCR Nisenan Tribe members and CHIRP's Archival Intern held an open conversation regarding the history of the Tribe, their known historical connections to Cornwall, the relationship between their political struggle and international support for recognition of this history, and their ideas for moving forward in collaboration with institutions such as the Royal Cornwall Museum and international universities.