Most people are familiar with the often very tragic stories of how Indigenous peoples have been deprived of their land and sacred sites throughout history. Recently, however, more and more people have begun to view this as a mistake and have sought to rectify it retroactively.
That is exactly what California has now done by returning the rights to the equivalent of four kilometres of beachfront to the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, according to the LA Times. Both tribes consider the site, located south of San Francisco, to be sacred, and it has long been state-owned land.
The decision is also expected to benefit wildlife and ecosystems, in addition to strengthening the rights of Indigenous peoples.
