Nisenan Homelands: CHIRP, #LandBack, and Cultural Phoenixing with Shelly Covert and Ember Amador

Nihizhi, Our Voices: An Indigenous Solutions Podcast

In this episode host Lyla June talks with Shelly Covert, spokesperson for the Nisenan Indigenous Nation, native to Grass Valley & Nevada City areas of northern California. Co-founders of CHIRP (California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project) Shelly Covert and Ember Amador discuss their $2.4M GoFundMe campaign to recover sacred lands stolen during the California Gold Rush. As of the publishing of this episode, they have already raised $2M. We discuss the tragedy of having to buy back stolen lands, but also celebrate that stolen wealth is being put towards the return of Indigenous lands. We request more support, and also celebrate that this small native nation, nearly extinguished by the California genocide and state-funded bounty hunting of indigenous peoples, is making a roaring comeback in the 21st-century.

CHIRP's mission to preserve, protect and perpetuate Nisenan Culture is informed by the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribal Council, which assesses and identifies the needs and best practices of their Tribal citizens. This episode focuses on their fight and journey to buyback the Nisenan homelands and how CHIRP is able to uplift their community and impact those around them to donate, volunteer and stay informed about the buyback.
To learn more about CHIRP, visit chirpca.org or their social media: Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or Twitter
To learn more about the Nisenan Tribe, visit nisenan.org