The small plot near the entrance on Highway 20 east of Marysville was cleaned up for the gathering. A Maidu bark lodge was put up on the grounds for the event. An old, one-roomed wooden building was given a going over and a coat of paint applied inside. A banquet table was laid. Visiting Tibetan monks blessed the grounds and proceedings, and then many folks — county officials, tribal leaders, community leaders, representatives of various organizations — were given some time to say some words.

Tribal Chairman Don Ryberg noted that having a direct connection to a land base affects the vitality of a tribe. It might have been a symbolic event to mark a largely symbolic act, but it was clear the symbolism was for something real and meaningful.

Ideas and plans for exactly how to use the 21⁄2 acres are still being explored, but it seems pretty likely the site will host some sort of interpretive and cultural preservation work, as well as giving a base to the group interested in restoration of habitat and health of salmon. The Maidu have been conducting an annual indigenous culture day at the park for a few years now.

That, by the way, brings up another point for which this group of Maidu won respect. The park encompasses an area believed to have once been a Native American fishing village along the Yuba River. There has been some contention about what tribe or tribes made use of the area.