(a) There is a documented history and current practice of widespread stealing, converting or otherwise alienating items of traditional Yurok Tribal cultural and sacred significance outside of the Tribal community;

(b) Included within the Tribe’s right to sovereignty and self-determination is the right to define and maintain items of cultural significance to the Tribe and to keep these items within the Tribal community;

(c) The Tribe’s relationship to certain cultural and sacred objects, as defined herein, is part of the Yurok Tribe’s legitimate exercise of its spiritual and cultural beliefs;

(d) It is customary in traditional Yurok culture to pass certain cultural items down to family members. Traditional Yurok people hold these items in high regard, with much respect for the actual spiritual life of these items;

(e) Yurok cultural items were given to Yurok people thousands of years ago for the specific purpose of being part of traditional ceremonies. Thousands of traditional Yurok people today honor the tradition of keeping cultural items within the family to allow the items to fulfill their sacred purpose;

(f) This chapter expressly states that certain traditional cultural items are akin to cultural patrimony; that is, they are objects having ongoing historical, traditional, or cultural importance central to the Yurok Tribal culture, and which, therefore, cannot be alienated, appropriated, or conveyed by any individual, regardless of whether or not the individual is a member of the Yurok Tribe, to persons outside of the Tribal community;

(g) Certain cultural items are part of the cultural and religious structure of traditional Yurok families; to remove any of the items from their rightful heritage is damaging to the integrity of the traditional Yurok family, the Tribal community and to the Tribe itself as a sovereign entity; and

(h) In order for the Tribe to retain its culture, it is necessary to codify what has previously been Tribal law, custom and tradition. [Ord. 7 § 2, adopted, 6/10/2004.]