LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – An agreement signed in December between the county of Lake and a local tribal consortium to increase protections of native cultural resources has won a state award.

The California Office of Historic Preservation has awarded the Governor's Historic Preservation Award for 2016 for the memorandum of agreement between the county and the tribal consortium Ancestors 1.

Ancestors 1 is composed of the Koi Nation, the Habematolel Pomo, Elem Indian Colony and Robinson Rancheria, according to Dino Beltran, the Koi Nation tribal administrator and treasurer.

“This award is the only official preservation award presented by the State of California to worthy recipients in recognition of outstanding achievements in the field of historic preservation,” according to a letter to Beltran from State Historic Preservation Officer Julianne Polanco.

The Koi Nation also was among the recipients of last year's award for the film, “A Walk Through Time: the Story of Anderson Marsh,” as Lake County News has reported.

“So we've got two years in a row going here,” Beltran said.

The memorandum of agreement, which the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved in December, is meant to protect sacred sites through the development process, while allowing development to go forward, Beltran said.

He said it's the sixth agreement of its type within the state. The fifth such agreement was reached between the Koi Nation and the city of Clearlake in August 2014.

“Since the inception of this agreement, the county is actually following the law and doing a pretty good job of it,” and being “pretty open-minded in how they're dealing with the tribes,” Beltran said.

Ancestors 1, said Beltran, is a consortium of tribes that have gotten together proactively to protect sacred sites not only through the development process but in addressing archaeological crimes.

“The message of these tribes is, we want to work together,” Beltran said.

Beltran said Ancestors 1 forged a relationship with Sheriff Brian Martin, bringing an archaeological crimes class to the county to educate local law enforcement. That effort subsequently resulted in arrests for looting of sacred sites.

“I think we have a great group of people, that's what's happening here,” Beltran said.

During the Clayton fire, Beltran received a phone call from Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown regarding concern for the fire's potential threat to sacred sites, which ultimately were not damaged during the incident.

“I don't think we would have gotten that call before,” Beltran said.

Beltran said the agreement is a living document that is still undergoing development. In particular, he said the cultural resources management plan in the agreement is still being finalized, and it will cover such issues as sensitivity training for construction workers, timelines and which tribes respond at what locations.

Beltran said the awards will be presented in Sacramento on Nov. 10.

Brown said he plans to be on hand with Beltran for the November awards ceremony.

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