Thumbnail photo: Rosa Laucci, Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation marine program manager, led a hike down the Sweetwater Creek Trail during a 2023 celebration commemorating the reclamation of place names at Tolowa Dunes State Park. | Photo by Jessica Cejnar Andrews Brie Fraley identified a divide between her community and those who see the land that’s now Tolowa Dunes State Park as just a public space. A descendant of the Grimes family, one of the last to live at the village of Yontocket, Fraley said its current status as public land is a barrier to her being able to practice her spirituality in a safe way. Yet the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation tribal member agreed with Del Norte County District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey who, along with her colleagues on Tuesday, raised concerns about proposed legislation that would turn the state park over to the TdN. “As a tribal member I was not afforded the information as well,” Fraley said of Assembly Bill 2356, which was authored by San Bernardino Assemblyman James Ramos. “I do think there should be a public engagement process so we can focus on this as an activity of healing. … There needs to be an empathy project for understanding the tragedies that have happened to my people.” Ramos was the first California Native American legislator when he was elected to represent Assembly District 45 in 2018, according to CalMatters. Yontocket, or Yan-daa-kvt, lies on the southern edge of the Smith River within the current boundaries of Tolowa Dunes State Park. It was a large village and a place of genesis for the Tolowa people, tribal member Sheryl Steinruck told supervisors. It’s also the site of an 1853 massacre that claimed the lives of 900 Tolowa people, according to Ramos’s bill. Steinruck said they were celebrating their World Renewal Ceremony. Despite hearing from Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Executive Director Troy Ralstin that Ramos has postponed AB 2356, Del Norte County supervisors unanimously approved sending an opposition letter. As it’s currently written, the bill proposes to transfer the state park’s entire 4,301 acres to the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation. The bill would terminate third-party leases, including grazing leases, and would also prohibit commercial development, including most gaming. It would allow the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation to adopt “reasonable regulations” governing public access to existing trails, roads and beaches. AB 2356 mentions California’s efforts to apologize to indigenous communities for “the many instances of violence, maltreatment and neglect California inflicted on tribes.” If approved, the land would no longer be called Tolowa Dunes State Park, but would be named Yan-daa-kvt, according to Ramos’s bill. Though he doesn’t specifically mention Yontocket or the massacre, the letter’s author, District 4 Supervisor Joey Borges, states that he and his colleagues appreciate the significant cultural importance Tolowa Dunes State Park has for the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation. But Ramos made no effort to consult with the county on the legislation nor did he allow the public an opportunity to respond, Borges stated. “This leaves the county in the unfortunate position of having no choice but to oppose this measure,” he wrote. Borges said it was the potential impact to public access at Tolowa Dunes State Park that prompted him to write the opposition letter, though Ramos being from San Bernardino was his “first trigger at wanting to oppose this.” Starkey said it was the lack of public engagement that made her question the bill, not who would be the titleholder of the land. “Our job here is to make sure we don’t create bigger problems,” she said. “It could be around public access or environmental protections or making sure all tribal voices are included, not just the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, but (Elk Valley) Rancheria. This isn’t necessarily about opposing, it’s about pausing and making sure we get this right.” Ralstin told supervisors that he was new to the area, having moved to Del Norte County about 10 years ago. Reclaiming Yontocket and their ancestral land to protect natural and cultural resources is a priority for tribal members, he said, but the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation will be more open with the general public with its efforts. “For us this is a priority,” Ralstin said. “And it will continue to be a priority to have land control back of this area that was taken, we’ll say, so many years ago by force, and for us to work through an education process whatever that may be, we’re committed to that. We will work together in order to make this happen.” Rob Miller, chairman of the Del Norte Fish and Game Advisory Commission, said the commission itself is neutral on whether Tolowa Dunes State Park should be transferred to the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation. However, they wanted to ensure that public access to the park is maintained, he said. “As long as the bill is written so the public will continue to have access ‘forever’ on state park land that was purchased potentially with the possibility of a caveat in the purchase agreement that states that, I don’t think the Fish and Game Commission of Del Norte County is any way shape or form against it,” Miller said. “But the public needs to continue to have access. That’s the key.” Fishing access for the public would continue to be under the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s jurisdiction if the AB 2356 is signed into law, Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation Natural Resources Department Director Rachel McCain said. Hunting is not allowed on Tolowa Dunes State Park since it’s a state park, though McCain noted the “muddy” boundaries between the state park and the Lake Earl Wildlife Area, which is managed by CDFW. “The deed of conveyance will require Tolowa Dunes State Park, including Yontocket, to be used in perpetuity to protect the conservation, cultural, wildlife, environmental and historical values of the land,” McCain said. The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation has also agreed to conditions to regain ownership of Tolowa Dunes that includes public access, McCain said. The conditions would be restricted covenants into the deed of conveyance, she said. McCain urged the Board to reconsider its opposition to AB 2356, “You have an opportunity here to right some historic wrongs and end up on the right side of history,” she said. Rose Tryon also comes from a family that’s lived in the community for generations. She said her great grandfather was the third “non-native” child born in Del Norte County. Tryon said she thinks that Tolowa Dunes State Park should be returned to the Tolowa people, especially Yontocket, but she understands why residents reacted so bluntly when finding out about Ramos’s bill. Tryon called for a community conversation about public access and how that will be determined. She urged the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation to help facilitate that conversation. “The way I grew up is we were all neighbors. There was no divide,” she said. “We all helped and worked with each other, I think we’ve gotten away from that as a community. And I think that that needs to heal, maybe this is part of that healing.”