People of the West

The Next Generation

From the Channel Islands to the Coachella Valley, California’s Native nations reclaim their role as caretakers of land and sea. Chumash divers restore kelp forests in the new Chumash Heritage Marine Sanctuary, while Yurok firefighters revive traditional burning to heal the earth. As repatriation efforts bring ancestors home and a new generation builds sustainable futures, voices once silenced rise to lead the state’s environmental rebirth—proving that California’s future depends on remembering its first stewards.