The Monterey County Weekly reports that a 1,200-acre property occupied by the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County 250 years ago has been returned to the tribe.
The tribe said it had lived in the area for more than 6,000 years, but was decimated by disease and other causes after Spanish soldiers built a military base in Monterey and missions were erected along the coast.
The tribe said that some captured Esselen escaped the missions after the Mexican Revolution. And in 2019, the tribe was awarded a $4.5 million grant by the state Natural Resources Agency, which allowed it to purchase the land commonly known as Adler Ranch. A year later, the Esselen Tribe closed escrow.
The tribe is now in the process of installing new buildings and other facilities on the land.
