Our purpose is to protect and maintain the identity and culture of the Tsurai people. We work to preserve, protect and maintain the burial grounds, the Trinidad Head, the Little Head, Luffenholz Beach and other historical, pre-historical, and archaeological resources pertinent to the ancestral lands of the Tsurai Village. We also strive to preserve public access while maintaining cultural and environmental resources for future generations to enjoy.
GET INVOLVED
The Tsurai Ancestral Society needs your help!
Your support matters
There are actions you can take today, from the comfort of your own home, that will directly impact the preservation work of the Tsurai Ancestral Society. It’s easy! Just click the "Get Involved" button below to learn more about the issues, and how you can make a difference.
Make a Donation
All work done at the Tsurai Ancestral Society is on a volunteer basis. Currently, the Tsurai are working hard on projects that will protect, maintain and ensure cultural knowledge isn’t lost to time. There are several projects planned for 2022 within the Village. Donations are needed to help those projects move forward from planning to implementation. Will you help us get there? Donations are accepted via check or money order payable to the Tsurai Ancestral Society and mailed to P.O. Box 62 Trinidad, CA 95570. For our Tax ID number, email the TAS Secretary at: mzlindgren79@gmail.com
Tsurai Village
The Tsurai Village has been in existence since time immemorial. Being over 65,000 acres in size, Tsurai was the largest southernmost village of the Yurok Tribe. The village is located on the northern coast of California, in Humboldt County. The Tsurai enjoyed an elegant lifestyle until European contact by way of Spanish explorers in 1775. The Spanish erected the wooden cross on Tsurewa, and proclaimed the new acquisition for the King of Spain, forever naming the area Trinidad. Since that time, there have been steady changes to Tsurai. Some pieces forever lost, while others remain intact and resilient. The Tsurai people being the most resilient piece, and adapting to the times by forming this non-profit to protect the cultural landscape that made up our traditional boundaries. The Tsurai Ancestral Society is made up of documented lineal descendants of the Tsurai village.
Pictured above from left to right: Glen, Chuck and Axel Lindgren on their front porch in Trinidad in the 1930’s prior to their enlistment in the military during WWII.
About TAS
The Tsurai Ancestral Society is a committed steward of the Tsurai Village. We participate in local, state, and federal government processes when advocating for protection and management of the Tsurai Village. We work closely with the Yurok Tribe as our village is a Yurok Tribe village. We are not affiliated with any other Tribe, Rancheria or organization.
It is important to us to maintain public access and responsible planning, while promoting protection and preservation for future generations to enjoy.
Canoe Carving
Axel Lindgren Jr carved several canoes with donated redwood logs for educational purposes. Sometimes the logs wouldn’t have been traditionally chosen because of their condition and flaws. However, he used the opportunity to education hundreds of people on the side of Main St in Trinidad about this elegant Yurok art form. As he was once quoted saying, he would work for 20 minutes, and talk for 2 hours as passerby’s and public would stop to inquire about this unique sight. His wife Bonnie recalls it was common place for him to bring these new found friends home for lunch. His work to preserve and maintain Yurok traditions went beyond canoe making, but this was one avenue that reached so many people. You can still find his canoes in several places including Sumeg Village and the Trinidad Museum.
Axel Lindgren Jr taught many school children as a presenter on Tsurai and Yurok culture. In this video, he is answering a question on Yurok culture and his family’s standing within the village.
Video used with permission from Bonnie Lindgren, all rights to its likeness and content are reserved. May not be used or duplicated without written permission.