Our Roots
Declaration
The homelands of the Sierra Nevada are sacred. Our cultures are born from our deep and enduring relationships with the lands, waters, and all living beings.
We acknowledge that these places—our life sources—are under increasing threat from extractive industries, climate disruption, and generations of displacement.
This declaration affirms our collective responsibility to protect and heal the natural world. In doing so, we revitalize our cultures and design futures rooted in Indigenous knowledge, kinship, and stewardship.
We bear the weight of every violation against our territories—and we carry the strength of our ancestors as we face the escalating challenges of climate change.
We commit to standing together, uplifting one another, and fulfilling the following responsibilities:
- To make decisions that ensure the long-term health of lands, waters, and communities;
- To honor and retain our cultures through tradition, language, and respect for the natural world;
- To uphold respect—for one another, for all beings, and for the systems of life that sustain us.
Core Values
Indigenous at the Core
Our identity as an Indigenous-led and -governed organization is central to everything we do. We honor wholeness, integration, and the balance of eco-cultural-human relationships. By leveraging resources and fostering regenerative practices, we commit to raising all boats—ensuring that our work benefits not just individuals but entire communities.
Intergenerational Knowledge & Relationships
We believe in the power of intergenerational learning—bridging the wisdom of elders with the energy and innovation of youth. Our commitment to inclusivity and relations fosters deep connections across generations, strengthening familial and community ties.
Collaboration & Reciprocity
True progress is built through collaboration. We operate with a reciprocal mindset, valuing partnerships that are rooted in respect, equity, and mutual benefit. Knowledge-sharing and collective decision-making are at the heart of how we engage with Indigenous and Intertribal communities.
Self-Determination & Governance
One of our highest priorities is to empower Indigenous communities to envision and lead their own futures. We advocate for self-determination and governance, ensuring that Indigenous voices drive decision-making and that sovereignty is upheld.
Two-Eyed Seeing & Duality
Walking in both worlds—balancing Indigenous ways of knowing with contemporary approaches—is essential to our work. Two-eyed seeing allows us to blend traditional knowledge with innovative solutions while remaining ethically grounded in Indigenous values.
Guardianship & Responsibility
As caretakers of our lands, cultures, and knowledge, we embrace guardianship as a sacred duty. This comes with a deep sense of responsibility—to protect, nurture, and sustain the resources, traditions, and wisdom that have been passed down through generations
Mission & Vision
We envision a future where:
- All people respect Indigenous cultural ecologies of the Sierra Nevada
- Indigenous voices, leadership, and knowledge are centered in the movement to restore resiliency to our environment and communities
- Rights of Nature are honored, and everyone understands their inherent caretaking responsibility to be a guardian
- Indigenous peoples restore and protect the land through practices that have sustained the region for generations
- Indigenous peoples’ cultures, lands, and languages thrive
- All of our relations (humans and more than humans) are given equal voice
- Women’s voices as cultural keepers are centered
- All peoples learn from the land, creating intergenerational cultural wisdom.