"The mission of the Wiyot Tribe is to exercise our tribal rights and promote our common welfare, to establish the supreme law of the Tribe, to provide for and protect our sovereign right to exercise self-government pursuant to our own laws, to protect and develop our lands and resources, and to promote and safeguard our aboriginal rights as Wiyot people."
Wiyot people have lived in the Humboldt Bay region for thousands of years. The North Coast of California is rich with abundant terrestrial, riverine, estuarine, and marine resources. Wiyot people lived in permanent villages along the waterways which also served as travel and trade routes. Seasonal camps were made on the tribal lands and prairies, and mountainous regions provided berries, acorns, pine nuts, wild game, and basketry materials. Wiyot people actively managed their resources, burning for open grasslands, cultivating edible bulbs, and following strict hunting and fishing protocols.
Pictured below are the dancers from the Brush Dance Demonstration that happened at the Elders Gathering July 25th, 2009 at Betmet. All the girls are in traditional regalia for this ceremony.
For more information pertaining to the Wiyot Tribe's calendar of events, please call the Tribal Office at 707-733-5055.