Ancestral Homelands
Reciprocity Program
The Ancestral Homeland Reciprocity Program (AHRP) is a community-driven invitation to practice reciprocal relationship with the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe, the original stewards of the Bear and Yuba watershed.
AHRP is grounded in a simple but powerful truth:
Those of us who live, work, and benefit from these lands share a responsibility to care for them – and for the Indigenous People who have stewarded these Lands since time immemorial and continue to do so today.
Facilitated by HUṠWEJ, the Tribe’s tribally-guided nonprofit, AHRP offers a tangible way to residents, businesses, and organizations to move beyond acknowledgment and into ongoing, ethical relationship with the Nisenan People and their Ancestral Homelands.
Beginning with Truth
We live on the unceded Ancestral Homelands of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.
For thousands of years, the Nisenan thrived here in relationship with the land – until the gold rush of 1848 ushered in violence, dispossession, forced assimilation, and genocide. Land was stolen. Families were separated. Cultural practices were outlawed. Federal recognition was illegally terminated in 1964, and the Tribe has yet to have their land returned.
AHRP begins with a shared foundational truth:
Our presence here is inseparable from this history, and the benefits many of us enjoy today are directly tied to the displacement and ongoing marginalization of the Nisenan People.
Truth-telling is not about guilt – it is about clarity. And clarity is necessary for healing, repair, and right-relationship.
Reciprocity and Responsibility
From a Tribal perspective, Reciprocity refers to the mutual exchange and interconnectedness between individuals, communities, and the environment.
It embodies a relational ethic that emphasizes balance, harmony, and mutual response among all beings, including our more-than-human kin. Reciprocity involves leaning into the dynamic relationality involved in giving and receiving, and sharing resources, knowledge, and support in a way that sustains the well-being and mutual-thriving of all involved.
Reciprocity is based on the framework that we have a responsibility to our community and to the Land, and that our collective liberation is reliant on our ability to support those less resourced than ourselves.
Through integrating Reciprocity into our daily practice, we move closer to living in Right-Relationship with ourselves, with our communities, and with the Earth.
The health of a place is inseparable from the health of its Indigenous People.
When the Nisenan are thriving, the Land is thriving. And when the land is thriving, the broader community benefits.
AHRP is rooted in this understanding of interconnected wellbeing – that our futures are bound together.
Reciprocity is not simply a mindset shift or abstract concept, but involves concrete, sustained action to repair harm and move towards Right Relationship with the original Stewards of this Land.
In practice, Reciprocity involves settlers acknowledging historic injustices and ongoing harm against Indigenous communities. It reflects a commitment to truth-telling, restorative justice, collaboration, mutual thriving and community healing.
Reciprocity also encourages settlers to recognize the benefits they receive from living, working, and benefiting from these Lands, and how these privileges are a direct result of historic harm inflicted upon Indigenous communities.
As an act of repair, Reciprocity fosters continuous engagement, solidarity, and commitment to achieving justice and healing for Indigenous peoples, the Earth, and the entirety of humanity.
Reciprocity Is A Practice
How AHRP Works
AHRP is open to all individuals, businesses, and organizations living or operating within the traditional Nisenan Ancestral Homelands.
Participants commit to a recurring monthly or annual contribution, reflecting the understanding that relationship and repair are ongoing.
Contributions may be structured in many ways, including:
A flat monthly or annual amount
A percentage of income or business revenue
A percentage of property value, similar to property tax
There is no fixed amount. Participants are invited to reflect on how they benefit from living, working, and recreating here – from raising families, running businesses, and enjoying rivers and forests – and to give in a way that is meaningful, sustainable, and aligned with their capacity.
No offering is too small. And no offering is too great.
Where Contributions Go
All AHRP contributions support HUṠWEJ, the tribally-guided nonprofit serving the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe.
The flexible nature of AHRP funding is one of its greatest strengths. Unlike restricted grants or project-specific funding, AHRP contributions allow HUṠWEJ to respond in real time to the evolving needs and priorities of the Tribe – filling critical gaps, addressing urgent moments, and sustaining work that often falls outside the narrow constraints of traditional nonprofit funding.
Through AHRP, HUṠWEJ is able to:
Respond quickly to immediate needs faced by Tribal members
Bridge funding gaps between grants
Sustain core operations that make long-term programs possible
Support emerging priorities identified by the Tribal Council
Provide stability during moments of transition, uncertainty, or crisis for Tribal members
By contributing to AHRP, community members help create a stable foundation that allows HUṠWEJ to carry forward Cultural preservation and revitalization, Land stewardship, advocacy for Tribal sovereignty and federal re-recognition, education and visibility work, and direct support for Tribal members – all guided by Tribal leadership and grounded in the lived reality of the Tribe.
Becoming a contributing member of the Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity Program is easy and flexible.
Here’s how to begin:
Chose a contribution amount
Reflect on how you benefit from living, working, and recreating on Nisenan Ancestral Homelands, and select a monthly or annual amount that feels meaningful and sustainable for you
Make it Recurring
AHRP is rooted in ongoing relationship. Please select a monthly or annual recurring contribution to help ensure stable, responsive support for the Tribe
Submit your Contribution
Visit our security donation page via PayPal to complete your sign-up. You will receive a confirmation and receipt once your contribution is processed.
Stay Connected
A HUṠWEJ team member will follow up to thank you, confirm your participation, and ask whether you would like to be publicly acknowledged as an AHRP supporter
Getting Started With AHRP
For Businesses and ORganizations
Businesses and organizations are warmly invited to participate in AHRP as a visible commitment to ethical relationship with the Land and it’s Original Stewards.
Participating Businesses may:
Publicly share their involvement as AHRP supporters
Receive materials such as decals, digital badges, and certificates of participation
Request staff education or informational resources about AHRP
If you are interested in enrolling in your business or organization, or would like to discuss contribution options, please reach out to AHRP@huswej.org
We can’t change history, but we can change how we live with it.
The Ancestral Homelands Reciprocity Program is one way to begin practicing right relationship, shared responsibility, and gratitude for the Land that holds us and the Original People who have stewarded these lands since time immemorial.