Two Trinity County tribes urge county recognition, seek MOUs and support for federal acknowledgement

Tracy Foster Olstad, who identified herself as the tribe chair representing Norrell Muq, told the Trinity County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 17 that her group is expanding public outreach, cultural programs and land stewardship and is seeking formal recognition and intergovernmental agreements.

Olstad described the tribe’s conversion of the former Cox Bar School into the Trinity River Natives Cultural Center, which the tribe uses for workshops, annual gatherings and as tribal offices. “We were honored to be here and collaborating with the county and working on mutual projects,” she said. She noted plans to rent the facility for community events and to teach traditional crafts and stewardship practices to school groups.

Olstad described other recent tribal efforts, including a plaque and signage at Natural Bridge that documents 1852 killings at the site. She said the tribe has been working with the U.S. Forest Service on stewardship and resource protection. She also described 80 acres called Red Bud Ranch that the tribe recently received and said access and road work are unfinished; the land is intended for youth and family gatherings when access is established.

Olstad said the tribe has state recognition and is pursuing federal recognition, and she asked the board to consider countywide letters of support ahead of a planned tribal trip to Washington, D.C. in February. “Any support at any level, especially at this level countywide, would be very helpful and very appreciated,” she said. Board members signaled willingness to prepare letters and to place a recognition resolution on an early 2025 agenda for the board to consider.

Lonnix Landry, who said he works in the Indian Natural Resource Science and Engineering program at Cal Poly Humboldt, spoke about offshore wind lease areas, heavy-lift terminal proposals, and related transmission upgrades. Landry described the need for high-voltage substations and transmission lines to move potential offshore wind energy inland and said tribes in the region are monitoring project siting and potential impacts. He said tribes are also interested in microgrids and other local resiliency projects.

Separately, Paul Ammon spoke for a group identified to the board as Sonangwe (a variant spelling appears in the record). Ammon described the tribe’s long effort to prepare a federal acknowledgment petition and the difficulty of assembling historical documentation, particularly when early records were recorded phonetically or list vital statistics as “unknown.” He thanked the board for a past resolution of support and asked for renewed county cooperation and outreach by county departments that manage land and water issues.

Board members and staff said they would work with tribal representatives on department-specific MOUs the tribes expect to submit, and several supervisors thanked the tribal representatives for traveling to present. CAO Tothill and Supervisor Carpenter-Harris said staff will work with the tribes on draft letters and on placing a recognition item early in 2025 if the board supports it.

Why it matters: County recognition, MOUs and support letters can affect tribal access to federal assistance and the degree to which county departments consult with tribal governments on land use, cultural resources and public projects.

Speakers - Tracy Foster Olstad, tribe chair (Norrell Muq) — tribal representative - Lonnix Landry — Cal Poly Humboldt; tribal community outreach - Paul Ammon — Sonangwe tribal chair (spoke on federal acknowledgment) - Chair Lynn Weller — Trinity County Board of Supervisors - CAO Tothill — County administrative officer

Clarifying details - Tribe office: Trinity River Natives Cultural Center, formerly Cox Bar School (used for workshops, annual gathering and tribal offices). - Land: Red Bud Ranch — roughly 80 acres; access currently limited (cable car), road work and forest-service coordination needed. - Recognition: Tribe is state-recognized and is pursuing federal recognition; tribes asked for county letters of support for an upcoming trip to Washington, D.C.

Authorities cited: none specified in the presentation.

Provenance: Presentation and Q&A recorded in the board meeting transcript beginning at 00:01:40 and continuing through remarks and slide references (Tracy Foster Olstad, Lonnix Landry, Paul Ammon).