Legislative Proposal: Return 'Center of the World' Sacred Site to Karuk
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Legislative Proposal: Return ‘Center of the World’ Sacred Site to Karuk Ownership Introduction Natural resource utilization and management remains a vital part of Karuk culture. The harvest of salmon, acorns, deer, elk, mushrooms and other natural products still serve as subsistence for many tribal families while the act of hunting, gathering, managing and processing these natural food products help define the Karuk Tribe’s cultural identity. The Karuk Tribe’s aboriginal territory encompasses over 1.48 million acres of Northern California and Southern Oregon Currently, 95% of Karuk aboriginal territory is managed by the Six Rivers and Klamath National Forests. As a result, the Tribe struggles to ensure that Karuk is the second largest traditional management practices and Karuk cultural values are integrated into federally recognized Tribe in management decisions. California with over 8,000 enrolled members and The Repatriation of Katimiîn, Center of the World descendants. Katimiîn is the single most important Karuk sacred site as it is the location of The mission of the Karuk Tribal the final series of ceremonies at the close of Pikyávish each year. Pikyávish is Council is to promote the general often referred to as ‘World Renewal Ceremonies’ and the word pikyávish welfare of all Karuk people, to translates literally as ‘to fix it.’ These ceremonies are performed to keep the establish equality and justice for our tribe, to restore and preserve earth in balance and pray for all living things. For Karuk, Katimiîn is literally Tribal traditions, customs, the center of the universe, a spiritual balance point for all of existence. language and ancestral rights, and to secure to ourselves and our descendants the power to exercise the inherent rights of self-governance. For more information contact: Josh Saxon Exective Director 530.493.1600 x2037 [email protected] Katimiîn is located at the confluence of the Klamath and Salmon Rivers, in the present-day community of Somes Bar, CA. Currently, the Karuk Tribe has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Klamath National Forest (KNF) describing the management approach for 1 Katimiîn and the 12,000 acres surrounding it. The Agreement is consistent with the Klamath National Forest (KNF) Plan which identifies Katimiîn as a Cultural Management Area (CMA). The KNF Plan describes these cultural management areas as having “…significant historic, as well as contemporary, spiritual values for the Karuk Tribe of California. These areas are to be managed to maintain special Native American ceremonial values. (Klamath National Forest 1994, p 35).” Within the Katimiîn Cultural Management Area, the Karuk Tribe proposes to transfer approximately 1,500 acres of US Forest Service lands to the Department of Interior to be held in trust for the Tribe. The parcel includes Ishi Pishi Falls, an un-navigable class 6 rapid where Karuk perform their traditional dip-net fishing. California Fish and Game Regulations do not allow non-native sport fishing on the short reach of river between the Ishi Pishi Road bridge (about 100 yards downstream of the dip-net fishery) to and top of Ishi Pishi falls (CCR, T14, Chapter 3, Article 3, section 91.1). Karuk Dip Net Fishing techniques have changed little over the years Class II and class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) shall not be allowed at any time on these lands. A Note on Spelling It’s a recent development that the Karuk language has been documented to the point where there is now an official language dictionary. You will see some place names such as Cottimein/Katamin/Katimiîn spelled a variety of ways. We now refer to the dictionary as the final arbiter of such disputes. Thus, what is named Cattimein in the Klamath National Forest Plan is actually spelled Katimiîn. 2 .