The Amah Mutsun Land Trust, an organization led by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, works to preserve and restore the lands of its ancestors. The nonprofit is participating in Santa Cruz Gives, a fundraising initiative created by Good Times in 2015.
Both this year and last, the Amah Mutsun Land Trust has been near the top in both the amount of money raised and the number of donors. To see this year’s leaderboard—and to donate now through Dec. 31—visit SantaCruzGives.org.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Amah Mutsun Land Trust is using this fundraising drive to build its land acquisition capabilities, protect sacred sites and establish its first-ever climate change program.
The Amah Mutsun are a tribal band of the Ohlone people, inhabitants of California’s central coast of California. Before European contact, the Ohlone lived in small, independent communities and relied on hunting, fishing and gathering for subsistence. They had a rich cultural and spiritual life, and a deep understanding of their environment.
The Ohlone were deeply affected by the establishment of the Spanish missions in the 18th and 19th centuries. Among the destructive practices inflicted on the Ohlone and other tribes were forced conversion to Christianity and suppression of Native American spiritual practices, forced labor and harsh living conditions. Forced relocation resulted in loss of land and resources and the separation of families.
European diseases led to devastating epidemics and high mortality rates among the Ohlone tribes.
Despite these challenges, the Amah Mutsun and Ohlone people have endured, and they continue to work to protect their ancestral lands and preserve their cultural heritage.
The last fluent speaker of the Mutsun language was Ascensión Solórsano de Cervantes. She was a healer and an herbal expert. In the 1920s and ’30s, she shared her knowledge of language, culture, plant uses and customs with John P. Harrington, an ethnographer from the Smithsonian Institute.
Today, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band builds upon her contributions to revive their cultural heritage and traditional ecological knowledge.
The land trust is an initiative of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, which aims to access, protect and steward lands that are integral to their identity and culture. The trust was formally established in 2013, and in 2015 became a fully incorporated 501(c)(3) organization.
Its stewardship area covers a large portion of the traditional territory of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, stretching from Año Nuevo in the north to Santa Clara in the south. The trust is involved in a variety of initiatives—including archaeological and fire research, educational gardens and land conservation—and has formed partnerships with conservation organizations, land managers and research institutions to further those goals.
With a focus on Santa Cruz County, the trust engages approximately 200 tribal members and 500 county residents annually in programs promoting Indigenous leadership in conservation.
Partnering with conservation organizations and research institutions, the trust has successfully collaborated on projects at the UCSC Arboretum, the Museum of Art and History, Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument, Wilder Ranch State Park, Soquel Demonstration Forest and San Vicente Redwoods. Through these efforts, the trust aims to foster healthier and more resilient ecosystems in Santa Cruz County and beyond.
One of these projects is the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, a collaborative initiative between the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and the Arboretum. The program’s primary goal is to assist the tribe in cultural revitalization and relearning traditional knowledge, particularly in the field of native plants and their uses.
Through workshops, classes and hands-on experiences, the Relearning Program engages tribal members and the broader community in learning about the Amah Mutsun’s cultural heritage and the importance of native plants in their traditions. By working together, the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band aim to foster respect for Indigenous cultures and promote the preservation of traditional knowledge.
The AMLT Coastal Stewardship Camp for Native Youth is a program organized by the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, which aims to reconnect Native American youth with their coastal territories and provide culturally relevant environmental education. The camp is typically held over a period of two weeks and focuses on a variety of themes, including Mutsun stewardship, traditional culture, coastal and river ecosystems, climate change and traditional foods.
Participants engage in hands-on cultural learning and recreational activities, fostering an appreciation for the coastal environment and their cultural identity. The camp is hosted in collaboration with various partners, including the Costanoa Lodge and the California Coastal Conservancy, and is designed to create a space for Native American youth to connect with their ancestral lands and heritage.
In this season of giving, the Amah Mutsun Land Trust is counting on the generosity of community members to make a meaningful and historic difference. With a mission to restore Indigenous lands and traditions, protect sacred sites and restore traditional food systems, the trust invites the community to help create a lasting, sustaining impact on the region’s cultural heritage.
Santa Cruz Gives is funded by the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Applewood Foundation, Joe Collins, Driscoll’s, Inc., Monterey Peninsula Foundation, 1440 Foundation, Santa Cruz County Bank, and Wynn Capital Management, as well as readers of Good Times, Pajaronian and Press Banner.
