The state of California Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy made a 320-acre land donation within the San Jacinto Mountain Range to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the parties announced Friday, Oct. 11. Now recognized as ancestral land, the donated acreage was purchased by the state in 1997 through the conservancy as a means of protecting palm oases, cultural resources and other conservation goals. “Returning these lands to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is a powerful example of how we can right historical wrongs and advance healing for the land and people at the same time,” Wade Crowfoot, of the California Natural Resources Agency, said in a statement “We are committed to working with California Native American tribes to support their return of ancestral lands and to help protect these landscapes for future generations.” Related Articles Environment | Here’s a look at tribal lands in the U.S. before there was forced removal Environment | Morongo Thunder & Lightning Powwow returns for 2024 Environment | California needs to do more to prevent suicide among Native Americans, tribal leaders say The 320-acre plot is the first direct land-back transfer that the conservancy has granted to a federally recognized tribe, according to conservancy Executive Director Elizabeth King. When added to a previous donation from the Friends of the Desert Mountains in April, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has now received more than 600 acres this year. “Preservation of our homelands is essential to maintaining our cultural heritage,” Tribal Chairman Reid D. Milanovich said in a statement. “Integral to the identity of our tribe is the thousands of years of knowledge and ancient wisdom held within these lands, our homelands.”