Native California Research Institute (NaCRI)

The Native California Research Institute (NaCRI) is dedicated to supporting Native California elders and culture bearers in the transmission of cultural legacy, the perpetuation of the overall California Indian Conference, and the preservation of Native California archives and cultural sites. NaCRI sponsors and supports projects that focus on the history and culture of Native peoples indigenous to present-day California. They also work to preserve cultural skills, emphasizing those taught by individuals who learned from elders practicing the older ways in the fullness of their old-time cultural context. NaCRI also promotes best-practice preservation of isolated, unprotected cultural sites on public and private lands. Essential to NaCRI’s work is a sentiment from board member Kanyon “CoyoteWoman” Sayers-Roods: “When conducting Indigenous cultural, archival and educational projects, always keep in mind, ‘Nothing About Us Without Us.’”

Established as a nonprofit in 2020, NaCRI is run by a 13-person board composed primarily of Native people Indigenous to California. Four committees oversee cultural, archival, site preservation projects, and the California Indian Conference. These efforts support the 110 federally recognized California tribes through curated museum exhibits, contributions to Indigenous archives, and the protection of heritage sites. NaCRI plays an important role in tribal consultations regarding millions of acres of national forest and public lands. These consultations are legally required but have also become re-emphasized amid the climate crisis and a growing appreciation of Indigenous knowledge. These relationships have expanded in many instances to include co-stewardship and co-management. Central to NaCRI’s work is the California Indian Conference, now in its fourth decade. The CIC is the sole forum for the sharing of knowledge, scholarship, and issues of importance related to Native California.

For more information:

Relationship Building at the Indigenous Co-Stewardship Conference – News from Native California, March 2024

No Longer Silenced: Indigenous Peoples Reclaiming Their Stories – Pioneer Publishing, November 2021