The Esselen Tribe is poised to reclaim 1,720 acres of culturally and ecologically significant lands along Tularcitos Creek in the Upper Carmel Valley, Monterey County.
The property hosts oak savanna and riparian corridors and is home to sacred cultural sites including ancient village locations, bedrock mortars and traditional gathering areas.
Among these is “Cappanay”, one of the largest and farthest inland known Esselen village sites. In the Esselen language, Cappanay means “little tules,” referencing the native plants that once thrived along the creeks, vernal pools and wetlands among the rolling oak-covered hills.
From: Wildlands Conservancy
