Wrapping up, but the relationships and work continue
Over the past six months, a group of 40 people from 12 TOGETHER Bay Area member organizations have been participating in Phase Two of the Right Relations program. These are people who have volunteered to keep the learning, community, and action going that they experienced in Phase One. Some of them participated in Phase One in 2022-2023, while others participated in 2024 (learn more here). All of them are deeply committed to the work of respecting Tribal sovereignty and building alliances with Tribes and Tribal communities.
Last week, the group gathered for a closing session at the Crissy Field Center in Yelamu, or San Francisco, which is the land of the Ramaytush. The Presidio Trust and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy opened their doors and allowed us to use the space for this gathering.
The sun shone, and the afternoon wind reminded us of the big ocean on the other side of the Golden Gate. We spent time smashing pinecones to release the nuts hiding inside. We shared a meal together, we laughed, we told stories.
The group’s commitment to this work was evident in the actions they shared with the group. Each organization presented actions they’re taking, including:
- Logging who has contacted who at Tribes, and sending one monthly newsletter to Tribal partners to streamline communications and reduce the burden for Tribal partners
- Providing support for Tribes with dam management updates
- Helping with Tribal access to salmon at our agency’s hatchery and with plants at our plant nursery
- Educating our staff with a training module based on our Tribal Relations plan
- Partnering with the Native American Tourism Association to highlight their trails
- Creating a template for contracting with Tribes
- Creating internal policy for Tribal consultation that extends beyond the legal responsibilities
- Slowing down transfer timelines to allow tribes to fully assess land for cultural resources
- Rewriting conservation easements when possible in partnership with Tribes
- Supporting to Tribal partners to secure funding for their time and projects
While there’s a lot of progress, and these actions are really exciting, there is also more work to do. Participants also shared areas for growth, including:
- Need to build internal capacity to do the work and align the leadership and staff on their tribal relations plans
- Ask ourselves, what role can development and fundraisers play in advancing the work?
- Want to develop a Tribal relations working group at our organization
- Want to show up at events and build relationships way in advance in order to prepare for future funding and project opportunities
Our experiences together in Phase Two created the conditions for these kinds of actions and questions. This cohort began meeting in October 2025, and we started by learning how to weave a basket. Over the past six months, we have:
- Participated in a field trip hosted by the Amah Mutsun Land Trust and their partners at the San Vicente Redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains.
- Participated in a field trip to Alcatraz Island with members of the Native Advisory Council for the Welcome To Indian Land exhibit, the National Park Service, and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.
- Got inspired by Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs, Geneva E.B. Thompson (Cherokee Nation) and the creation of the California’s Tribal Stewardship Policy.
- Learned from Dr. Peter Nelson (member of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) about fire, stewardship, and sovereignty
- Learned about making change within organizations and systems from Annie Burke
- Worked together on creative solutions to challenging puzzles that participants are working on. These puzzles are about things like partnerships with Tribes, structuring conservation easements with reciprocity, and returning land to the original caretakers. They are full of history, culture, systems, respect, and relationships.
We want to acknowledge the participating organizations, and honor the work they’re doing to change the systems while also working within them. This is multi-generational work. And we honor their hearts, heads, and hands for engaging in it. The 2025-2026 Phase Two participating organizations are:
- East Bay Municipal Utility District
- Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
- Grassroots Ecology
- John Muir Land Trust
- Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
- LandPaths
- Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
- Presidio Trust
- San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
- Sempervirens Fund
- Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
- Sonoma Land Trust
The Right Relations program is a partnership between Redbud Resource Group and TOGETHER Bay Area. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has generously provided funding since 2022. Other funders include Sobrato Foundation and Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. We are grateful for their support.
