Recognizing that you live in a National Park City requires a change of mindset as we strive to connect with nature. The cars and concrete that dominate our urban fabric can’t last forever (#naturewins). Less than 200 years ago (before Sutter’s fort) western explorers found wide river floodplains and lush grassland under canopies of soaring valley oaks, largely tended by the Native peoples. Try to imagine what your neighborhood once was- is that a Tule Elk on the corner?
This land sustains us with food to eat, water to drink, clean air, and views that soothe our souls, yet this is hidden from us in our day to day. Honor the land by finding ways to connect to it.
The Native residents of the Sacramento Region are role models in honoring the land and we also honor them. I had the good fortune to learn from Mountain Maidu elder Lorena Gorbet how the land speaks to Native peoples and guides them in stewarding it. It speaks to her as she walks through the forest as she cares for the land and it cares for her in turn.
We acknowledge that we are on the ancestral homeland of Sacramento’s Indigenous peoples. We recognize and honor the first peoples who lived along our rivers, including the Miwok, Patwin Wintun, and Nisenan peoples, and those who have lived on and stewarded the land from time immemorial. We commemorate the bravery and resiliency of their descendants. With great humility and gratitude, we strive to respect the wisdom of the original land stewards and their reciprocity to the land.
This land deserves our honor. Get angry when developers want to fill in some of the last remaining floodplain in the American River Parkway. Get angry when electeds consider allowing massive industrial projects outside of the urban growth boundary.
Ready to take the leap? Here’s a way to connect and start honoring the land: Join us for a walk and photo event along the new Del Rio Trail with four essential elements of nature: water, earth, sun, and wind. We will reflect on each element and interpret them through the medium of photography. The golden hour will allow us to capture the saturated colors and shadows of the landscape.
Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024
Time: 3pm – 5pm
Location: Riverside Boulevard and Darnel Way, Sacramento, CA, 95822
Sacramento Park City 