Overview
Yurok Land and the California State Parks
Author:
Jenn Soderfelt, Educator, Video Editor, and StoryMap Designer
Yurok Ceremonial Keepers:
Christopher H. Peters (Yurok/Karuk), President of the Seventh Generation Fund
Dr. Kishan Lara-Cooper (Yurok/Karuk/Hupa), Department Chair of Child Development Cal Poly Humboldt
Ernie Albers (Yurok/Karuk/Hupa), Educator, Wellness Consultant, and Storyteller
California State Parks Representatives:
Victor Bjelajac
Erika Granadino
Kyle Achziger
Karla Jovel
Maiya Rainer (Yurok)
Cochise Nez
Grades: 6-8
Suggested Amount of Time: Four 50-60 minute sessions
Materials needed
Projector, Screen, Speaker for videos
Pencils
Poster paper and pens, or, whiteboard/chalkboard space
Individual computers, Chromebooks, or other device for online research
Scissors
Curriculum Themes
- History
- Cultural Strengths
- Relationship to Place
- Cross Curricular Integration
Learning Goals
Students will identify the Indigenous People of Humboldt County and map their general geographic location.
Students will explore some of the languages spoken by these Indigenous People through the use of online language dictionaries and other available tribal resources.
Students will explore various artforms created by these Indigenous People through online research and printed resources (if available).
Students will identify some of the plants and animals used by these Indigenous People through online research and printed resources (if available).
Students will identify the key historical highlights that affected the Yurok and other Indigenous People of Humboldt County.
Students will describe the purpose, challenges and economic incentives associated with westward expansion in Humboldt County and how it affected the local Indigenous populations.
Students will be able to describe the significance of Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh Stone Lagoon Visitor Center and Sue-Meg State Park.
Students will recall how the Yurok Tribe and the California State Parks collaborated with the Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh Stone Lagoon Visitor Center and Sue-Meg State Park.
Students will identify the key components of the CA State Park Reexamining Our Past Initiative.
Lesson Overview
This 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.
Teacher Background
Teaching about Native peoples, cultures, and histories is a responsibility and an opportunity. Educators are dynamic facilitators of perspectives and have the responsibility and the opportunity to actively challenge historical narratives that have long excluded or misrepresented Indigenous communities, particularly in relation to land access, stewardship, and cultural continuity. This unit is grounded in the best practice of teaching with and about Native communities and Tribes as sovereign, thriving nations with ongoing leadership, knowledge systems, and contributions to our shared future. Highlighting the partnership between the Yurok Tribe and California State Parks, this unit offers a powerful example of how institutions can shift from historically exclusionary practices to relationships rooted in respect, collaboration, and shared stewardship.
Following colonization and the genocide of Native peoples, systems like the state and national park services often excluded Tribes from their own ancestral lands, restricting access to cultural sites and creating obstacles to traditional ways of life. Today, the work of the Yurok Tribe in co-managing Sue-Meg State Park and stewarding the Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh Visitor Center marks a significant shift. This partnership centers Yurok ceremonial leaders, elders, and cultural knowledge holders in decision-making about land use, education, and conservation. These efforts show what is possible when tribes are not only included—but recognized as leaders in land management, cultural revitalization, and environmental protection.
It is essential that students understand the Yurok Tribe and many tribes throughout California are the first peoples of this land, and have thousands of years of connection to and understanding of the spaces now called California. The presence of Tribes in classrooms today are presented as part of the state’s past; however this lesson presents them as important partners in the present and future. The more students learn who California Tribes are, what they stand for, and how they care for the land, the more likely they will be to support and engage in partnerships grounded in mutual respect. California’s Indigenous nations are leading efforts in environmental sustainability, economic development, legal reform, and public health. Bringing these realities into the classroom invites students to see Native communities not as subjects of history books, but as active contributors to shaping a better, more inclusive society.
Educators are encouraged to approach this unit with cultural humility and openness. That means centering Indigenous voices and sources, avoiding stereotypes, acknowledging historical trauma, and celebrating the strengths and resilience of tribal communities. With engaging resources such as the Yurok Country – Since Time Immemorial Story Map, and lessons that introduce students to Traditional Ecological Knowledge, name restoration, and community collaboration, this unit empowers teachers to uplift Native content with integrity. Most importantly, it supports students in developing the knowledge, respect, and curiosity they need to be informed allies, advocates, and future partners.