California has returned 136 acres of Northern California coastline to three Indigenous tribes. The land includes Blues Beach and an ancient village site known as K’etim. The California Department of Transportation transferred the Mendocino County property to Kai Poma, a tribal nonprofit, on July 6.

It is the first time Caltrans has returned land to tribal ownership. Kai Poma represents the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Round Valley Indian Tribes, and the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians. The state bought the bluff-top land in the 1960s for Highway 1 scenic overlooks.

Governor Gavin Newsom called the transfer “momentous.” He said it restores a sacred connection between Native peoples and their ancestral homelands. The deal was approved by the California Transportation Commission on June 26. Kai Poma chairman Eddie Knight told Mongabay the tribes want to protect the habitat and teach young members to harvest sea foods, seaweeds, and kelp.

The beach stays open to the public with no admission fees. Commercial development is banned on the site. If the nonprofit fails to maintain it, the land reverts to Caltrans.

State Senate Bill 231, signed in 2021, authorized the transfer and requires continued public access.