900 Acres Bordering Yosemite Returned to Tribe That Was Expelled 175 Years Ago

Nearly 900 acres of land bordering Yosemite National Park have been transferred back to tribal ownership after 175 years,

The transfer from Pacific Forest Trust to the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation provides the tribe with ownership of the naturally and culturally significant Henness Ridge, site of a traditional Native American trail from the Central Valley to Yosemite, and a key migration corridor for deer and other mammals.

“This transfer reunites our people to this unique area of our homeland after 175 years of displacement,” said Tara Fouch-Moore, Tribal Secretary.

The Pacific Forest Trust spent two decades preparing the land for its return to tribal ownership after the organization purchased it under threat of development.

Located just west of Chinquapin/Badger Pass and State High