Yurok Land and the California State Parks
RI.6.7, WHST.6-8.7, HSS 8.8.2, WL.CM1.N: Interpretive CommunicationThis middle school unit offers teachers a meaningful and engaging opportunity to bring California’s Indigenous history and contemporary partnerships into the classroom through the lens of the Yurok Tribe’s work with California State Parks. Through four thoughtfully designed lessons, students will explore the ancestral and present-day relationship between the Yurok people and the lands now known as Sue-Meg State Park and the Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh Visitor Center in Humboldt County. The unit highlights themes of land stewardship, cultural preservation, Yurok language integration, and historical reexamination, and introduces students to the significance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in caring for the land. Each lesson offers a unique focus—ranging from understanding local tribal presence and stewardship, to examining the impacts of colonization, to analyzing how state parks can better reflect Indigenous narratives and knowledge systems. Educators will find tools to guide students in building a deeper understanding of Indigenous history, including the Reexamining Our Past Initiative and the efforts to restore Indigenous place names. The accompanying “Yurok Country – Since Time Immemorial” Story Map provides a powerful visual and self-guided component, allowing students to explore maps, videos, and archival content that enrich classroom discussion and critical thinking. With multilingual learner supports included and lessons designed to be flexible for integration or standalone use, this unit empowers teachers to make space for Indigenous voices and histories in ways that are respectful, place-based, and aligned with current educational priorities. It invites students to think critically about whose stories are told in public spaces—and how these stories can evolve through collaboration and community advocacy.
