Business briefs | Changes in leadership of Humboldt Area Foundation – Times-Standard

Humboldt Area Foundation’s Bryna Lipper, left, is stepping down from her role as the chief executive officer after being accepted to a PhD program at Carnegie Mellon University. Sara Dronkers, right, will begin acting in the role of chief operating officer immediately. (Contributed)

Tribe changes its name after election

The tribe formerly known as Resighini Rancheria has a new name.

On May 8, citizens of the tribe voted to amend the tribe’s Constitution and change the name to the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People. This official change occurred through a Secretarial Election conducted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs with collaboration from the Pulikla Tribe. The tribe has been working to change the name since 2019 and the new name signifies the deep connection to ancestral lands, the Klamath River, cultural traditions, and identity.

Pulikla translates to “down river people,” which is the traditional name of people that reside or descend from the villages along the lower Klamath River.

“A name has a spiritual connotation to it. That’s why it’s important that we pick our own name,” said Chairperson Fawn C. Murphy in a news release. “Our new name reflects a generational change and a reclamation of who we are as Yurok people. ‘Resighini’ was a name given to us by the federal government and did not reflect who we are. We picked a name that has meaning to us, connection to culture, and connection to place. It is a beautiful thing, and it makes me happy to hear people say our new name. We are, and always have been, Yurok people. Now our name reflects that.”

The Pulikla entered into an unratified treaty in 1851 with the federal government and are part of the original Klamath River Reservation of 1855. In 1938, land was purchased on the lower Klamath River by the federal government from Augustus Resighini. The intent of the land purchase was to provide a place for Tribal people residing along the Klamath River and on the coast in Del Norte and Humboldt counties. Several Yurok families moved to this land to take up residence, and in 1939 the Resighini Rancheria was formally proclaimed an Indian Reservation. Tribal Citizens of the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People have been living on the land ever since.

“Pulikla is a traditional name of where our people come from. With this name change, we will no longer be seen by others as people that came here from somewhere else. We are from the Klamath River and have always been on the Klamath River. This name personifies that connection since time immemorial and the pride and responsibility we feel as Yurok people,” said Council Member Spa-ghe Dowd.

The official name change will be published in the Federal Register in January 2025.

Eligibility specialist at DHHS Hoopa location

Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services has a new permanent eligibility specialist at its Hoopa location in the K’ima:w Medical Center after going nearly a year without one. Newly hired Tina Loyo’s first day on the job was April 15.

During the interim, the office had adopted limited hours to allow staff from Social Services’ main Koster location to commute from Eureka to cover the vacancy.

DHHS eligibility supervisor Sarah Ireland said having a permanent employee in the Hoopa office eliminates the need to have Eureka staff traveling hours each day, saving the county money.

“A local and permanent employee helps our customers receive assistance, without having to travel, from the perspective of someone familiar with their community,” Ireland said in a prepared statement.

As training and onboarding continue, the Hoopa office located at 535 Airport Road, will maintain limited hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Regular hours, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. are expected to resume in the fall.

Services available at the Hoopa location include assistance with CalWORKs, CalFresh, Medi-Cal and general relief and transportation assistance programs.

HAF+WRCF announces changes in leadership

The Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation board of directors announce changes in the organization’s leadership earlier this week.

Chief Executive Officer Bryna Lipper was accepted into a PhD program at Carnegie Mellon University focusing on climate change and social justice in rural and Indigenous communities. Her research will involve this region’s environmental and political history and pose future scenarios for climate justice. With that, Lipper will step out of day-to-day management and take on the role of chief innovation officer.

Sara Dronkers takes on the role of chief operating officer immediately. Dronkers has more than 20 years of work experience at HAF+WRCF. She served as Chief of Staff of the foundation since 2020.

Additionally, Paula (Pimm) Tripp-Allen will serve as vice president of programs, community partnerships, and tribal relations at the foundation. Pimm will lead the organization’s grantmaking efforts, program and affiliates, and regional initiatives. Pimm, of Yurok and Karuk ancestry, will also continue leading Native American and Tribal Nation relations.