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A Native American tribe in central California has spent decades campaigning for a way to protect the coastal waters along its traditional territory. Now the Biden administration is creating a new national marine sanctuary - one the tribes will help manage. NPR's Lauren Sommer has more.
LAUREN SOMMER, BYLINE: Violet Sage Walker has been thinking about her dad a lot lately. For years, he had a vision for protecting the Central California coast. It's the historical homeland for his tribe, the Northern Chumash.
VIOLET SAGE WALKER: That's all my dad ever wanted was that people would know that we are the stewards of this land, that we are still here.
SOMMER: Walker is chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council. The coast north of Santa Barbara is known for its beauty. There's kelp forests, whales, sea otters. But for Walker, it's also home to many sacred sites, like the rugged cliffs known as Point Conception.
WALKER: It's where we spiritually believe that all people leave this world into the next life. They take their journey - whatever faith you are, whatever spirituality you have.
SOMMER: Ten years ago, Walker's father nominated the area to be considered for a national marine sanctuary. That means it would be protected, kind of like a national park or national forest.
WALKER: One of the last conversations we had in the hospital before he passed away - he said the sanctuary was the most important thing that he ever did and that he wanted me to finish it.
SOMMER: It took years, but now it's a reality.
PAUL MICHEL: This is a really exciting time, an incredible achievement for ocean conservation on the Central Coast of California.
SOMMER: Paul Michel works on marine sanctuaries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He says the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary will be the third largest in the country. It will be protected from oil drilling and mining and fishing will still be allowed. The final sanctuary is smaller than what was proposed because of new offshore wind farms that are being planned.
MICHEL: Not knowing exactly how many cables, how many substations, the exact routes. So this is all a balancing act, right? And this is what sanctuaries do.
SOMMER: Michel says once the wind farms' infrastructure is built, NOAA will consider expanding the sanctuary. It will also be managed in partnership with several tribes and indigenous groups in the area, something NOAA is figuring out.
MICHEL: Really what this represents is a starting point because we realize we've got a lot of work to do to get to know one another, to build some trust.
SOMMER: Under the Biden administration, tribes have started co-managing federal lands and waters in a handful of places, giving them a say over what was once theirs. After centuries of violence and displacement, Walker says there's a lot of repairing to do. Now, with climate change, she says protecting the natural world is more vital than ever.
WALKER: As long as I'm breathing, we're going to be fighting to protect our Earth. You know, that's just who most indigenous people are. So I'm always hopeful, always optimistic.
SOMMER: She just wishes her dad could see it.
WALKER: I did what he asked me to do, and I think we did a pretty good job, too.
SOMMER: Lauren Sommer, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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