The Woodland School is now home to the Sacramento region’s first Native American library

WOODLAND – A unique library in the Sacramento region opened Wednesday evening at Douglass Middle School in Woodland for students and their families.

The Native Resource Library now houses hundreds of books that highlight Native American stories, history and culture.

“This is the first time students will be able to understand and gain insight into Native culture, Native American tribes, our various traditions and ceremonies,” said Joshina Cluff, director of the school district’s American Indian Parent Committee.

Book by book, Cluff built a library full of Native American heritage—books written by Native authors and offering options for all K-12 reading levels.

“We want people to learn about the impact of the Gold Rush, the impact of the missions and the impact of John Sutter on these areas here,” Cluff said. “History books can be very distant. We want to humanize our culture, humanize our experiences and also share our very rich traditions with everyone.”

The library is housed in the district’s Native Student Resource Center at Douglass Middle, which first opened in 2023.

Children who attended the library’s grand opening Wednesday night told CBS13 they would like to help make history.

“This is brand new and Native American. So that’s a big achievement. It feels good to be the first child to read a book from here,” said Baine, a student at Freeman Elementary School.

Elodia Ortega-Lampkin, superintendent of the Woodland Joint Unified School District, said these investments for the district’s Native American students have been a long time coming.

“For so long they felt like they were excluded from history. That their culture, language, history, ancestors have been forgotten – it is important for us to recognize that no, they are not forgotten. We see you. We.” “I hear you. You are important to us,” Ortega-Lampkin said.

Organizers say passing these stories on to the next generation means never forgetting the tribal truths of Yolo County land.

In Yolo County, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is a federally recognized tribe of the Patwin people. The Patwin, along with the Wintu and Nomlaki, are a group of Wintun people who have lived in Northern California for thousands of years.

“This library makes people read the truth. You don’t have to stereotype, make things up, or see things on TV. You can come here and read the truth through books. It’s a way for educators to create curriculum,” said Mike Duncan, director of the local nonprofit Native Dads Network.

Duncan said this library is the first of its kind in the region.

“We are modeling something that has never been done before in an elementary or middle school in Northern California,” Duncan said. “Just to be a part of it and know that this will continue for generations, I’m a very proud man.”

It’s the first page of a new chapter about Woodland schools that organizers hope will be read and shared at schools throughout the region.

“We can break down the barriers of racism and systemic policies that continue to oppress us and build a better community for our tribal people,” Duncan said.

Organizers hope to name the library in honor of the local Patwin people in the near future. The library is open to all students in the district to borrow a book.