Wenem To•s, a Wintu term meaning “middle place,” is a 1,209-acre parcel in northern California’s Sacramento River Valley, situated one mile south of Shasta Trinity National Forest. The land supports exceptional biodiversity — five oak species, native willows, redbud, manzanita, and two stream systems sustaining wildlife from bald eagles to mountain lions.
Historically stewarded by the Yana and Wintu peoples, the site was lost to Indigenous communities through settler colonization, broken treaty promises, and dispossession. Decades of homesteading, cattle grazing, ATV use, and an overgrazing rehabilitation ranch left the land significantly degraded. In December 2024, Native Roots Network (NRN) rematriated the property with a clear mission: restore ecological health and cultural vitality through Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and contemporary land science. Restoration priorities include stabilizing eroded soils, rebuilding native plant communities, improving watershed function, and reducing catastrophic wildfire risk. Key partners include Point Blue Conservation Science, CalFire, Western Shasta Resource Conservation District, and Shasta Fire Safe Council.
Central to NRN’s approach is the Yəkila Land Stewardship Cohort, launched summer 2026. Named for the Wintu word for blue oak acorn, the eight-week program engages 8–10 young adults in hands-on TEK-based restoration — replanting native perennials, preparing for cultural burns, and processing restoration materials into sustainable products through NRN’s on-site digital fabrication shop. Remaining wood waste is converted to biochar for soil health and revenue. The program embodies NRN’s “Acornomics” framework, weaving Indigenous reciprocity, workforce development, and ecological stewardship into one vision.
