SANTA YSABEL, Calif. – The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel (INSY), in partnership with the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), proudly announces the return of 1,107 acres of ancestral lands in the San Felipe Valley. Funded by CNRA’s Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Program, this historic land acquisition supports Indigenous-led conservation and the safeguarding of the rich biodiversity in one of California’s most ecologically diverse regions.
The INSY “Ewiinally: A Land Return and Conservation Project” will acquire the Pinto property, consisting of 23 parcels on the eastern slope of the Volcan Mountains, directly adjacent to the existing reservation. The acquired property encompasses diverse habitat types including desert riparian woodland, chaparral, oak woodland, native grassland, alluvial fan sage scrub, acacia scrub, and mixed hardwood/conifer forest. This biodiversity supports numerous iconic and endangered species, and is home to the Least Bell's vireo, Golden Eagle, Arroyo Toad and many other significant flora and fauna.
The Tribe will establish the Ewiinally Traditional Ecological Knowledge Center (ETEKC), which will serve as an educational hub for the public to learn from and engage in INSY’s traditional ecological knowledge and stewardship practices. The project includes a conservation management plan that will provide neighboring communities with opportunities to access the conserved lands.
“The return of these 1,107 acres of Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel ancestral land is more than a restoration of territory, it is a restoration of identity, responsibility, and healing,” said INSY Chairman Kevin Osuna Through the CNRA 30x30 initiative, we honor our ancestors by reaffirming our sacred relationship to the land. This is a profound step forward for our people, and a powerful example of how true stewardship and Indigenous leadership can shape a more just and sustainable future."
This acquisition is part of California's unprecedented $100 million investment in 27 tribal land projects through CNRA’s Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Program, a first-of-its-kind program in the nation that directly supports ancestral land return and represents a significant step in the state's truth and healing process with California Native American tribes.
“Supporting tribal leadership is essential to meet our most important environmental goals”, said California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot. "Funding for ancestral land return and tribally led nature-based solutions is big step toward conserving 30% of California's lands and coastal waters by 2030. It also represents the state's ongoing commitment to strengthen partnership with California Native American tribes in years and decades to come."
“This project exemplifies the vision of our Tribal Nature-Based Solutions program: restoring ancestral lands, healing historical harms, and strengthening Tribal sovereignty,” said Geneva E.B. Thompson, Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs at CNRA. “This extraordinary landscape will now be protected and cared for through Indigenous knowledge and leadership, advancing biodiversity conservation and climate resilience across the San Felipe Valley.”
The land acquisition advances California's 30x30 initiative to conserve 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030, demonstrating how ancestral land return can serve broader conservation goals while honoring tribal sovereignty and cultural heritage.
A Land Return Ceremony will take place in August 2025, hosted by the INSY in San Diego County.
