Historical Preservation & Site Protection
For the benefit of future generations and all our relations, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe seeks to revitalize culture and nature through the Office of Historic Preservation. Help our volunteers resist the obliteration of sacred natural sites, prevent the boondoggle of enlarging Shasta Dam, protect the history of the north state, restore salmon, and keep the original rich culture of our region going for generations to come.
Salmon Restoration
The Winnemem Wintu are salmon people, leading protection efforts and providing scientists and land managers with traditional knowledge of this endangered species which once fed our whole state. We seek to bring healthy, thriving New Zealand Chinook salmon back to the McCloud River, their place of origin a hundred years ago, and engineer a fish swimway around the dams that block access to the cold waters of the high country.
Run4Salmon Prayer Journey
The Run4Salmon is a ceremonial two-week prayer journey that follows the migration path of native winter-run Chinook salmon from the McCloud River to San Francisco Bay. For more information, see the Run4Salmon website.
Cultural Resilience
Through ceremony and cultural practices – including food and medicine gathering, language preservation, sobriety, care for elders, and traditional arts – Winnemem Wintu serve the tribe and wider community by perpetuating an exceptional Native culture.
Education
Through intergenerational collaboration and the development of curricula, the Winnemem Wintu maintain traditional lifeways, while promoting public education about the impacts of development, industry, and tourism to their culture and traditional lands. Check out our curriculum here.
Sustainable Food Cultivation
The Winnemem Wintu pursue gardening and gathering to live sustainably on the land.
Arts
Indian Cultural Organization seeks support for Winnemem Wintu makers and artists to continue traditional art forms and explore new ones—from beading, jewelry, and drawing, to T-shirts and filmmaking.
Fire Ecology
ICO supports the Winnemem Wintu building the capacity to prepare for, monitor, and fight wildfires. We protect our homes, cultural sites, and sacred natural sites, working with other tribes on training and cultural burning, and communicating about traditional fire management to the wider community.
Indigenous Networks
Collaborating with neighboring indigenous communities, joining the California Truth and Healing Council, and participating in events from the UN to the IUCN World Conservation Congress, Chief Caleen Sisk and the Winnemem Wintu strengthen the international network of indigenous peoples.
Community Development
Help us develop a sustainable eco-village!