After a long search for an appropriate site, the California Indian Heritage Center Task Force and California State Parks secured a new location along the Sacramento River in West Sacramento. On June 18, 2008 the West Sacramento City Council approved an agreement that places the new State Park museum and cultural heritage complex at the 43 acre East Riverfront property. The proposed location overlooks the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers. “A riverfront location was essential because of the significance of natural resources to American Indians,” says Larry Myers of the CIHC Task Force.
"This is an extraordinary place in our region," says West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon. "It's unspoiled but still urban. What better way to honor and celebrate Native American people who have been in West Sacramento much longer than the city.” The CIHC will be the home for one of the state's largest collection of American Indian artifacts, including over 3,000 California Indian baskets and priceless regalia.
The California Indian Heritage Center (CIHC) will honor the diversity and history of California Indian people by preserving cultural and tribal traditions, nurturing contemporary expressions, and facilitating research and education for California, the nation and the world.
The CIHC will be world-class in both content and design. The design will reflect Indian values in form, materials and the Center’s placement on the land. Plans for the facility include formal exhibit galleries for historic and contemporary exhibitions and programs. The Center will house the State’s extensive collections of California Indian baskets and other cultural treasures and will provide a research center, meeting rooms, museum store and potentially will include food service facilities. The grounds will be restored to their natural state and will accommodate seasonal outdoor programs and ceremonial areas for special events and traditional gatherings, as well as becoming an asset to the local community in which the center is located.
The CIHC will fill a long standing need in the state, serving Native and non-Native people. It will be a place where Indian people can come together, celebrate and preserve their past, and promote the continuation of their traditions. It will also be a place where all Californians can learn about the history and contemporary life of the state’s indigenous people. The California Indian Heritage Center will be a destination for tourists from around the world to learn about Native American culture in California.
