Payahuunadü
Land of the Flowing Water

​Payahuunadü - ‘Land of the Flowing Water’ - where the growing Land Back movement is restoring indigenous water rights and the delicate balance between humans and the land.

The vast expanse of California known as the Owens Valley was home for centuries to Native Americans who lived along its rivers and creeks, which were fed by snowmelt that cascaded down the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada.Then came European settlers, and over time tribe members lost access to nearly all of that land. Eventually, the water was lost, too: In the early 20th century, the developers of Los Angeles built a 226-mile-long aqueduct from Owens River to the city. That project, the story goes, allowed Los Angeles to become the booming metropolis it is today.
Tribal members have recently reclaimed corners of Owens Valley, buoyed by growing momentum across the country to return land to Indigenous stewardship in what is known as the “Land Back” movement. In California, state and local leaders have acknowledged a dark history of brutality toward Native Americans, and tribes have reclaimed territory up and down the state.

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The New York Times: In California, Tribal Members Are Reclaiming the ‘Land of the Flowing Water’​