_{Thumbnail photo by Tim Rochte via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons license}

Portions of Tolowa Dunes State Park will be closed to the public to allow the region’s original inhabitants space to celebrate a cornerstone of their nutritional health and culture.

The Lhuk Rite Ceremony signifies the importance of salmon and celebrates its annual return, according to the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation website. Occurring before any fishing takes place, Tolowa Dee-ni’ adults attended the ceremony to pray for a plentiful harvest.

The partial park closure will take place from 7 a.m. Saturday through 5 p.m. Sunday, according to a Superintendent Order from the North Coast Redwoods District of the California State Parks. It will impact access points at Pala Road, Silva Lane and the Kellogg Trailhead Road, according to the order. 

The following trails will also be closed: Ridge Road, Peninsula Trail, River Trail, Yontocket Beach Trail, Marsh Trail, Yontocket Slough Road/Trail, Pond Trail, Horse Camp Trail, Pond Beach Trail and the Ridge-Marsh Connector Trail.

The beach will still be accessible from the county parking lot at Kellogg Road, according to Deputy District Superintendent Shelana deSilva. The public can also access the park from the Cadra Loop Trail, Point St. George and Old Mill Road near the Lake Earl Wildlife Area.

In addition to being a cornerstone of the Tolowa people, lhuk, or salmon, are an indicator species. According to the TdN’s website, if salmon populations are declining then elk, deer, berries and other resources that sustain people are also in danger.

“Lhuk continues to be an essential product of our nutritional health and overall diet. It is often served at tribal ceremonies and cultural events,” the TdN’s website states. “Fish are one of the traditional first foods of Tolowa people and have provided much subsistence.”

For more information about the trails that are open to the public, including whether horses and bikes are allowed on them, click here.