Walt Lara Sr.

hupacal@aol.com

Walter Lara Sr. is a respected spiritual leader and wisdom keeper of the Yurok Tribal people and recognized as a Native cultural and political luminary among Tribal Nations throughout the State of California. Walter has dedicated his life to the renaissance of Earth Healing and Earth Renewal Ceremonies and the revitalization of spiritual practices and lifeways of the Yurok People. He is a sought-out leader and Traditional Cultural Practitioner serves on the California State NAGPRA Commission and is a delegate of the California Rural Indian Health Board’s Keepers of the Treasure – Traditional Healing. He is also an honored recipient of the Society for California Archaeology’s California Indian Heritage Preservation Award.

Present- 2012: Red Deer Consulting: Provides cultural mentoring for regional Native Youth and Adults with special focus on ceremonial protocols, esoteric knowledge and Native cultural lifeways.

Present- 2000: Sr’atch’ apeeya-way (White Deerskin) Ceremonial Leader. Organizes ceremonial regalia and presides at the Sr’atch’ apeeya-way, a ten day World Renewal Ceremony at the traditional Yurok Village of Weitchpec.

Present- 1999: Yurok Tribe’s Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Committee. The NAGPRA committee has worked for the repatriation of regalia, ceremonial items, baskets and other cultural artifacts. The returned regalia are now used in Earth Healing and Earth Renewal ceremonies.

Present-1980: Wo-neek We Ley-goo (Jumpdance) Ceremonial Leader. Organizes ceremonial regalia and presides at the Wo-neek We Ley-goo a ten day Earth healing ceremony at the Yurok traditional village of Pecwan. In 2012, he organized and initiated the re-birth of the Jumpdance ceremony at the coastal village of Cha-pekw.

Present-1970: Mey-Lee (Brush Dance) Ceremonial Leader. Organizes and presides at the May-Lee, a three-day healing ceremony that occurs annually at three traditional Yurok village sites and within tradition territories of neighboring Hoopa and Karuk Tribal Nations.

1987-1970: Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association (NICPA). Co-founder and subsequent director of NICPA a community-based organization established for the protection of tribal burial sites (cemeteries) and sacred places. NICPA was instrumental in the first repatriation of Yurok human remains and artifacts and the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978.

1983-1976: Native American Heritage Commission of California. A Commissioner Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. The Commission, through the Office of the State’s Attorney was a key litigant in the infamous landmark case, Lyng v. The Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association (NICPA), an American Indian religious freedom case with national precedence. The Heritage Commission, working with California Tribal Nations, was instrumental in the repatriation of human remains and funerary item that were warehoused within the State Parks Department. The Commission also established statutory protection to prevent continued looting and desecration of graves and ceremonial sites.

1979-1973: Inter-Tribal Council of California (ITCC). Seven years as the Area 1 Director and two consecutive terms as the State-wide Chairperson. The ITCC helped advance legislative initiatives and provided needed services to California Native communities.