NewsLos Angeles Times – CaliforniaOctober 31, 2026Los Angeles County
Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians reacquires 51 acres in San Gabriel foothills
Photo: Los Angeles Times – California
The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians purchased a 51-acre plot along the Pacific Crest Trail near Santa Clarita using a $1.9-million state grant, returning ancestral land to the tribe for only the second time in over a century. The land, which includes the notable Three Sisters Rock formation, will serve as a cultural and ecological site for tribal members. The transaction follows previous conservation agreements and land acquisitions by the tribe supported by California state initiatives.
Read the full story at Los Angeles Times – CaliforniaWhy It Matters
A landless tribe without has regained direct stewardship over 51 acres of its ancestral territory through a $1.9-million state grant.
Key Facts
- The Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians purchased a 51-acre plot along the Pacific Crest Trail above Santa Clarita.
- The acquisition was funded by a $1.9-million grant from the California Natural Resources Agency via the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions program.
- The property was previously marketed by its private owners as a potential glamping site.
- The central feature of the property is Páhi Yëëyt Tëtá, also known as Three Sisters Rock.
- This purchase marks the tribe's second land return after spending over a century without owning any acreage due to a lack of federal recognition.
- The tribe established the Tataviam Land Conservancy in 2018 to acquire land and created a tribal conservation corps in 2022.
- In 2023, the tribe signed an agreement with California State Parks to help manage over a dozen regional state parks.
- California has set a goal to place 7% of the state's land under the stewardship of tribes and has invested over $200 million in land reacquisition initiatives.
Who's Mentioned
locationSan Gabriel foothills“Location of the returned land”OrganizationCalifornia State Parks“State agency that signed an agreement with the tribe”locationElizabeth Lake“Location near land donation”OrganizationTataviam Land Conservancy“Nonprofit set up by the tribe to acquire land”locationSan Fernando“Valley traced by tribe history”OrganizationFernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians“Tribe that purchased the 51-acre plot of land”PersonJesus Alvarez“Board president of the tribe's conservancy and tribal citizen”PersonGavin Newsom“Governor of California”locationSanta Clarita“Area near the acquired land”OrganizationCalifornia Natural Resources Agency“State agency providing the grant and administrative support”PersonRosalinda Ortega“Tribal citizen and field representative for State Assemblymember Tom Lackey”PersonTom Lackey“State Assemblymember”locationAntelope valleys“Valley traced by tribe history”PersonWade Crowfoot“California Natural Resources Secretary”PersonJulia Samaniego“Tribal citizen and ethnobotanist”