Laura Poisson SomersalA local Indigenous woman known as the last to speak fluent Wappo will become the first woman, person of color and Native American to name a Healdsburg park after her, the city council unanimously decided this month.

“Naming the park after him celebrates his contributions and honors the importance of Native heritage in our community,” Council Member Ariel Kelley told The Press Democrat. “Laura’s deep commitment to preserving traditional crafts, language and environmental stewardship aligns perfectly with the values ​​we want to uphold in this new park. »

The 12-acre park is part of the Saggio Hills Developmentin the northern foothills of the Parkland Farms neighborhood, near the intersection of Healdsburg Avenue and Passalacqua Road. As part of the development, the city was granted 38 acres of parkland, with 12 acres planned for parkland and 26 reserved for an open preserve area that would connect to the Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve.

The park, scheduled for construction in December, would include sports fields and fields, playgrounds, a large picnic pavilion, open lawns, a dog play area, a community garden, a trail pumping station, a picnic area, gardens for special use for the natives. plantations, pollinator gardens and habitats for insects and reptiles. The park will also include an extension of the paved trail Foss Creek Trail through the park. Its opening date has not yet been determined.

This honor was celebrated by the local indigenous community at recent government meetings in Healdsburg.

Somersal “represents both the Wappo and Pomo members of Dry Creek Rancheria,” said Sherrie Smith-Ferri, the tribe’s historical officer for the Dry Creek Rancheria told the Healdsburg Parks and Recreation Commission Aug. 29. “She was one of my favorite people. She was a gentle, intelligent and powerful woman.

Somersal was nominated by Clint McKaywho explained in her application that she “represented a connection for her people to ‘old’ ways of life, including how to care for and gather Sonoma County’s natural resources, including basket weaving materials, traditional foods and medicines.

Somersal was born in 1892 and died in 1990, “but people still talk about her and revere her,” said Holly Hoods, executive director and curator of the Healdsburg Museum and Historical Society.

“She was an extraordinary, extraordinary woman who had so much to share with Indigenous people and the community at large,” Hoods told the Parks and Recreation Commission. “She was extraordinary and was well respected by the Pomo and Wappo people.”

Scott GabaldonChairman-elect Mishewal Wappo told the Parks and Recreation Commission that he grew up knowing Somersal.

“Maybe you don’t know her, but everyone in the Indian community knows her,” he said.

His legacies, including his baskets and his contributions to the creation of an English-Wappo dictionary, are preserved at the Smithsonian Institution.

“Naming the park after Laura Fish Somersal not only honors her as a notable cultural figure, but also recognizes her contributions as a keeper of Indigenous knowledge and traditions,” said Kelley, the aforementioned council member. “She inspired countless people through her art and teaching, and this park will allow future generations to appreciate her lasting impact on our community.” »

Amie Windsor is the community journalism team leader at The Press Democrat. She can be reached at [email protected] or 707-521-5218.