When Shasta Dam was built in 1945, the Winnemem people lost 90 percent
of their sacred and ceremonial sites. With a new dam proposal
threatening to further damage their way of life, the Winnemem are
determined to prevent history from repeating itself.
Chief Caleen Sisk, tribal and spiritual leader of the Winnemem Wintu
tribe, leads a sunrise ceremony in Coonrod, a deeply symbolic place
where her ancestors have gathered for millennia for prayer and
ceremonies. (Photo: Rucha Chitnis)
