Landback: A Sacred Return to Our Ancestral Home

Reclaiming Bollibokka to Reclaim Our Future

 

 

LandBack isn’t just about acquiring a piece of property—it’s about healing centuries of injustice, revitalizing cultural identity, and restoring balance to the natural world. For the Winnemem Wintu, it means reconnecting with the McCloud River, honoring ancient ceremonies, and ensuring our children inherit the life-giving bonds we have nurtured for generations.

 

1. Why Bollibokka?

 

Bollibokka is far more than land; it’s an inseparable part of who we are. For millennia, our ancestors performed ceremonies along these banks, stewarded abundant salmon runs, and lived in harmony with the rhythms of the river. Colonization fractured this unity—erasing sacred spaces and disrupting ecosystems that once thrived under Indigenous care.

 

Today, a rare opening has arisen: Bollibokka is on the market. Reclaiming it marks a pivotal moment in reversing dispossession and reviving our life force—the McCloud River. It’s a chance to breathe new life into ancestral ceremonies, restore salmon habitats, and weave generations of wisdom back into the fabric of this land.

 

2. The Significance of Chinook Salmon

 

Salmon carry more than nourishment; they carry our stories. The Chinook have guided Winnemem Wintu spiritual and cultural practices for centuries, representing sustenance, ceremony, and continuity. When these salmon thrive, our communities thrive.

• Cultural Heartbeat: Salmon migrations and ceremonies are intimately linked, illustrating how cultural practices and ecological well-being are inextricably bound.

• Ecological Balance: Restoring salmon reverberates across the entire watershed, reinvigorating biodiversity and fostering resilience in the face of climate change.

• Your Role: Each “Decolonize” hoodie purchase fuels our LandBack mission, funding the Bollibokka rematriation that brings salmon closer to their rightful home.

 

3. Long-Term Impact

 

Securing Bollibokka is a vital milestone on a far-reaching journey to revitalize the Winnemem Wintu’s connection with the McCloud River and demonstrate how Indigenous-led stewardship can heal land and community alike. Beyond reacquiring ancestral territory, our vision encompasses:

• Cultural and Spiritual Renewal: Holding long-suppressed ceremonies, reawakening language traditions, and passing on sacred teachings to future generations.

• Environmental Restoration: Bringing salmon back to their native spawning grounds, restoring habitats, and working in concert with biologists and allies for lasting regenerative impact.

• Global Inspiration: Showing the world that Indigenous wisdom—woven with modern solutions—can create thriving ecosystems, cultural resurgences, and hope for a shared future.

 

By joining our LandBack campaign for Bollibokka, you stand in solidarity with our efforts to heal historical traumas, protect an at-risk ecosystem, and secure a vibrant legacy for generations yet to come. This is land returning to Indigenous hands. This is culture and water uniting under traditional care. This is how we reclaim our future, one act of rematriation at a time.