Organization
Yurok Tribe
TL;DR
The Yurok Tribe is the largest Tribe in California, with more than 5,000 enrolled members on and around the Klamath River in northern California, and its major initiatives include dam removal, natural resources protection and land acquisition.
The Yurok Tribe states that it is the largest Tribe in California, with more than 5,000 enrolled members and more than 200 employees. Its ancestral territory runs along the Klamath River and the northern Pacific coastline, and the Tribe’s own history page says that at one time its people lived in over fifty villages across that territory. The federal government established the Yurok Reservation in 1855, and the Tribe records that the reservation was considerably smaller than the original ancestral territory. Redwoods are not scenery in how the Tribe describes itself. Its history page says that traditional family homes and sweathouses are made from fallen keehl, meaning redwood trees, cut into boards, and that traditional stories teach that the redwood trees are sacred living beings which stand as guardians over sacred places. Canoes, called yoch, carry dancers and ceremonial people for the White Deerskin Dance, a ceremony the Tribe describes as recently rejuvenated. The Tribe names five major initiatives, the Hoopa-Yurok Settlement Act, dam removal, natural resources protection, sustainable economic development enterprises and land acquisition. It runs twenty named departments, among them Fisheries, Cultural Resources, Wildlife, Environmental and Language. Its Fisheries Department, directed by Barry McCovey, employs nearly 100 scientists and technicians. Its Northern California Condor Restoration Program, a partnership with Redwood National and State Parks, began in 2008. In July 2026 Save the Redwoods League transferred 125 acres in the heart of Yurok ancestral territory back to the Tribe, and that land opened to the public on 1 August 2026 as ’O Rew Redwoods Gateway.
Why OGSP Recommends It
The Yurok Tribe is California's largest Tribe, with more than 5,000 enrolled members and over 200 employees. The organization operates twenty distinct departments to manage operations including Fisheries, Wildlife, Language, and Environmental protection.
Their ancestral territory runs along the Klamath River and northern Pacific coastline. The federal government restricted them to a smaller reservation in 1855, displacing them from more than fifty original villages. Today, the Tribe pursues five major initiatives to regain control of their resources: land acquisition, dam removal, natural resources protection, sustainable economic development, and the Hoopa-Yurok Settlement Act.
Their relationship with the forest is shared in the documentary film Giants Rising. Redwoods are never treated as scenery. The Tribe considers these trees, known as keehl, to be sacred living beings that stand guard over sacred places. Members cut fallen redwoods into boards to construct traditional family homes and sweathouses. We can also visually document the recently rejuvenated White Deerskin Dance, which features participants traveling in traditional yoch canoes. Covering the Yurok Tribe shows an organized government executing a large-scale effort to physically restore their ecosystem.
Related Resources
Ways To Get Involved
- Visit ’O Rew Redwoods Gateway, a 125-acre restored property at Orick in Humboldt County. Plan a visit through the Tribe’s own booking page, or by phone on (707) 440-3933.
- Attend the Yurok Salmon Festival. In 2026 it runs on Saturday, August 15, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, in front of the Yurok Tribal Headquarters at 190 Klamath Blvd.
- Give to the Yurok Condor Restoration Program, one of the Tribe’s flagship conservation projects. The donor page is linked from the program’s own page.
- Visit Sumeg Village, a reconstructed Yurok plank-house village at Sue-meg State Park. The park is open year-round, sunrise to sunset. In summer you can witness a traditional ceremony at the village.
- Sign up for the Tribe’s E-Alerts. The form sits on the Yurok Tribe home page.
Key Takeaways
- The Tribe states it is the largest in California, with more than 5,000 enrolled members.
- Its own history page describes redwood trees as sacred living beings that stand as guardians over sacred places, which is the frame Giants Rising works inside.
- Dam removal is one of five major initiatives the Tribe names for itself, alongside land acquisition and natural resources protection.
- Two of the people in Giants Rising, Barry McCovey Jr. and Rosie Clayburn Katri, lead Tribal departments.
- 125 acres came back to the Tribe from Save the Redwoods League in July 2026 and opened to the public as ’O Rew Redwoods Gateway.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people are in the Yurok Tribe?
The Tribe’s own site states more than 5,000 enrolled members, which it says makes it the largest Tribe in California.
Where is Yurok ancestral territory?
Along the Klamath River and the northern Pacific coastline of California. The Tribe’s main office is in Klamath, with further offices in Eureka and Weitchpec.
What does the Yurok Tribe say about redwoods?
Its own history page says traditional stories teach that redwood trees are sacred living beings, and that they are respected because they stand as guardians over sacred places. Fallen redwoods are used for family homes, sweathouses and canoes.
What is the Yurok condor program?
The Northern California Condor Restoration Program, a partnership between the Yurok Tribe and Redwood National and State Parks. The Tribe began the reintroduction project in 2008 and calls the condor, prey-go-neesh in Yurok, part of a wider environmental and cultural revitalization effort.
Can the public visit Yurok land?
Yes. ’O Rew Redwoods Gateway opened to the public on 1 August 2026, Su-Meg Village at Patrick’s Point State Park is open every day, and the Yurok Salmon Festival is held annually in Klamath.