Indigenous tribe works to establish marine sanctuary along California coastline

Halfway between the technology capitol of the world and the Hollywood Hills is a stretch of pristine California coastline where nature still reigns.

It’s part of an ancestral territory that was once dotted with Indigenous villages. The Chumash tribe was “stewards of these waters,” according to Violet Sage Walker, head of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, and coexisting alongside the complex food web compromised of coral, fish, seals, sharks and dolphins allowed the tribe to thrive. However, European invasions sparking death and displacement led to a dramatic dwindling of the Chumash population.

The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

Now, the Chumash tribe is leading a push to turn this section of coastline into a marine sanctuary six times the size of Yosemite National Park. Marine sanctuaries are the aquatic equivalents of national parks, and are federally protected. Other marine sanctuaries include the Florida Keys and the Olympic Coast, and such areas receive federal resources for preserving, restoring and celebrating the unique underwater worlds.

Preserving and Protecting Indigenous Territory

“In order to preserve something, in order to protect something, people have to love it, and that is like giving us the opportunity, the world stage, to share our stories and our history and why this place should love it,” Walker said.

The tribe is working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and are just months away from clinching that federal designation, which will dub the area the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary.

Indigenous Leadership in Conservation

“We’re in a place today that’s the first of its kind, and that’s because conservation efforts are being led by tribal people,” Walker said. If the area receives a marine sanctuary designation, it will be the first one to have been proposed by an Indigenous group.

Threats and Activism

While the long-held dream of a marine sanctuary is now within the tribe’s grasp, the light at the end of the tunnel did not always look so bright. Threats of industrialization have loomed over this treasured ecosystem for decades. Walker said tribal relatives became environmental activists in 1969 after an oil spill in the area’s Santa Barbara channel. Slow Guiterrez has been sounding the alarms since the 1970s, when a proposed massive liquified natural gas terminal threatened Point Conception, a sacred Chumash site.

The Journey to Establish a Marine Sanctuary

The effort to establish the marine sanctuary began in 2015, when Walker’s late father, Fred Collins, filed a proposal with the NOAA. He hoped it would put a cap on the endless environmental threats.

After sitting idle for years, the proposal was brought to life under President Joe Biden, who has prioritized environmental conservation and Indigenous leadership.

The Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

“For the Chumash people, they have been a bit overlooked, unfairly, for some time now,” said NOAA representative Mike Murray, who is working with Walker on the final push for the marine sanctuary. “We are here at NOAA to say, with Violet and others, ‘Let’s work in partnership and change that. Let’s have this protected area and every coastal attraction or visitor center or sign that one might encounter make it clear that this is Chumash territory, and this is very special, and there’s deep meaning in that.'”

The sanctuary would protect 150 miles of coastline and 5,600 square miles of the Pacific Ocean. The exact boundary has yet to be determined, but in essence, it would connect two existing sanctuaries, creating a continuous stretch of protected ocean.

Indigenous Conservation Efforts

“All over the world, tribal people are the first people that are affected by climate change. They’re the first people affected by industrialization and by pollution,” she said. “We are the ones that are saying ‘Let’s protect this. Let’s save this.’ But it shouldn’t be so hard, and it shouldn’t take so long to conserve something so beautiful. Through all the things we have faced, it says more about our people that we’re still here and we’re still fighting for our place.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 14: Life Below Water – The article discusses the establishment of a marine sanctuary to protect the coastline and ocean ecosystem.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – The article mentions the Chumash tribe’s connection to the land and their efforts to protect their ancestral territory.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – The article highlights the Indigenous leadership in the conservation efforts and the need for recognition and protection of Indigenous land.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 14.5: By 2020, conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.
• SDG 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.
• SDG 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory, and representative decision-making at all levels.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 14.5: Proportion of coastal and marine areas protected by legislation.
• Indicator for SDG 15.1: Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas.
• Indicator for SDG 16.7: Proportion of positions in public institutions (national and local legislatures, public service, and judiciary) held by Indigenous peoples.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: cbsnews.com

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