An Indigenous nonprofit with family ties to a long-neglected piece of national park land on the Marin County coast wants to restore and return the parcel to Indigenous stewardship — and has asked federal officials to join as partners in the effort.

Graffiti and other acts of vandalism are rising at Laird's Landing, the last Coast Miwok settlement on Tomales Bay, said Theresa Harlan. She is asking the public to watch out for the vandals.

The inaugural September event was part of the Indigenous Youth Kayak and Navigation Program put on by Alliance For Felix Cove in partnership with North Bay organizations Blue Waters Kayaking, LGBTQ Connection and Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits.

In historic policy shift, long-ousted tribes are collaborating, cooperating and co-managing parks

08.11.2023 - by Peter Yolles of Echo River Capital - Blog post regarding a recent visit to Felix Cove, hosted by Theresa Harlan.

Visitors searching for tule elk in Point Reyes are sometimes surprised to find cattle grazing on commercial ranches. We explore the legacy of ranching on this land, and hear from those who want it to end.

Theresa Harlan’s family was forcibly removed from their home in the 1950s. Today, she wants the Park Service to acknowledge her story. On a calm bright Saturday in mid-November, supporters of the Alliance for Felix Cove, an organization that seeks to bring attention to contemporary Coast Miwok people and their history at California’s Point Reyes National Seashore, gathered to celebrate the launching of a tule-reed boat.

A celebration on Saturday marked the culmination of a series of workshops held over the last six months – led by artist Redbird Willie – to guide volunteers in building a traditional tule canoe. These learning experiences were focused on raising awareness that Coast Miwok culture remains alive and well. The initial launch was held at McNears Beach Park in San Rafael on Saturday.

Family and friends of Coast Miwok activist Theresa Harlan gathered on Tomales Bay on Sunday to launch a tule canoe. The 15-foot boat wasn’t ready for paddling, but the public is welcome at a launch celebration at McNears Beach in San Rafael on Nov. 12.

Media Advisory - On November 12th at McNears Beach Park in San Rafael, CA, we will host our first traditional tule canoe launch–in honor of our ancestors and our continued commitment to steward these lands and waters for future generations.

In 1984, my California Indian History professor told our UC Berkeley class that the Coast Miwok, a California Indian people, were extinct. I raised my hand and said that my Coast Miwok mom was alive and well. The professor dropped his head and sighed.

Theresa Harlan has a vision. As the adopted daughter of a Coast Miwok family who lived for generations at the cove on Tomales Bay known as Laird’s Landing, she has a personal stake in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Her family, the Felixes, were the last Coast Miwoks to leave the west shore of the bay. Now, she is fighting for the park to recognize its modern Indigenous history, a story she says has often been ignored…

On April 22, the California Coastal Commission held a virtual hearing to discuss the impact of dairy and cattle ranching at Point Reyes National Seashore. Superintendent Craig Kenkel began his presentation with the words, “Point Reyes is the ancestral home of the Coast Miwok.”…

The National Park Service (NPS) is expected to finalize a General Management Plan Amendment for the Point Reyes National Seashore today, extending ranch leases in the park for another 20 years and perpetuating an abhorrent example of environmental injustice and history of racism in the park…

The ongoing controversy regarding the future management of Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS) encompasses the environment, historical preservation, the public will, and more.

After her Coast Miwok family’s eviction from their ancestral home in Northern California, Theresa Harlan joined her voice with the national movement seeking to restore Indigenous history and presence to the American landscape.

Point Reyes National Seashore is a special place for many. For me, the connection goes back 13,000 years.

My mother’s family is Coast Miwok, and our ancestral home still stands in the park, nestled in a small cove known as Laird’s Landing. Our family history is the history of the Spanish missions, the Mexican ranchos and the American ranches – in short, the history of California…

In 2015, the National Park Service asked the state to sign off on the demolition of all of the buildings at Laird’s Landing as unsafe. To Theresa Harlan and her husband, Tiger, the buildings represent the Coast Miwok’s survival of settler colonialism.

Theresa Harlan tells the history of her Coastal Miwok family at the remains of their cabin at Point Reyes National Seashore.

The following responses to George Wuerthner’s October 12th piece “A Response to Treur’s Atlantic Magazine National Parks and Tribes,” and November 2nd’s “Indian Burning – The False Solution to Large Blazes” are guest posts from Peggy Berryhill, Theresa Harlan, and Peter Byrne. I am grateful for their time, energy, and eloquence in raising these issues. – Greta Anderson…

Dive into the history of Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California with us. It’s one of the most iconic national parks in the region, known for rugged sweeping beaches and the famous tule elk. We’ll recount the waves of colonization that violently upended the lives of the Coast Miwok peoples who lived there – and one Indigenous woman’s struggle to preserve her family history.

Aired 04.27.2023 - In this episode, we hear how a Coast Miwok family is advocating for the native people of Tomales Bay, and we learn about how their personal journey has become part of a broader movement.

Visitors searching for tule elk in Point Reyes are sometimes surprised to find cattle grazing on commercial ranches. We explore the legacy of ranching on this land, and hear from those who want it to end.

06.03.22 - 2:00PM Theresa Harlan launched the Alliance for Felix Cove in 2021 to restore and represent the history, culture, and ecological wisdom of the Coast Miwok. Theresa joins Terra Verde host Fiona McLeod to discuss the rematriation, re-indigenization, and restoration of the Coast Miwok’s ancestral homeland in Point Reyes National Seashore.

0:43 – Founder and director of the Alliance for Felix Cove, Theresa Harlan (@theresaharlan6) is dedicated to celebrating her Coast Miwok family’s life at Tomales Bay. She joins us to discuss her recent LA Times piece, “How a national park can honor Coast Miwok ancestors and their living descendants.”

Some members of the Bay Area’s indigenous community say their history is being erased, and are calling for ancestral land of the Coast Miwok, including parts of the Point Reyes National Seashore, to revert to the communities that first roamed there. It’s a conversation that is beginning to take hold nationally. The cover story in this month’s "The Atlantic" argues that more than 60 national parks should be returned to the stewardship of Native tribes. We’ll explore the untold history and legacy of local public lands.

The history of California Indians is the story of the last genocidal wars against Indians. Traditional tribal lands and histories were obscured and the predominant California history is told from the Spanish, Russian and cattle ranchers. On this edition of Peggy's Place we talk with Theresa Harlan who is attempting to get her adopted Mothers traditional ands and history returned and recognized by the Pt. Reyes National Seashore…

Theresa Harlan talks about the history of her people, the Alliance of Felix Cove, and what can be done to help the cause.

Pam Jensen was raised on her family’s oyster farm in the train-stop town of Hamlet, on the northern shore of Tomales Bay. Her great-grandfather immigrated from Denmark in the 1880s and bought the farm that included the train stop and its town. Pam’s mother was of Coast Miwok descent and many of her relatives still lived around the bay when she married Henry Jensen in 1955… Read More…

In partnership with The Dance Palace - Jacquelyn Ross, Dean Hoaglin, Theresa Harlan, & Dewey Livingston joined us in an important discussion to share the significance & meaning of ancestral relationships.

Land acknowledgement at an incredible evening of community and connection amongst ACLU NorCal’s clients, artists, staff, and supporters.

Dominican University Service-Learning Program (MAI Lunchtime series) - Theresa Harlan, (Kewa Pueblo/Jemez Pueblo) is an adopted daughter of her Coast Miwok mom. She is advocating for the restoration of her mother’s Coast Miwok home at Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS) through the establishment of The Alliance for Felix Cove.

On the eve of the 59th anniversary of Point Reyes National Seashore, local environmental leaders, wildlife advocates, and public lands stewards gathered for a rally at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Theresa Harlan, Coast Miwok, speaks on the Park Service's servile approach to the livestock industry on Point Reyes National Seashore.

The Park Service may soon sign into law a new general management plan which will extend 20-year leases to private dairies and beef ranches at Point Reyes National Seashore on more than 28,000 acres.