For generations, Native people have been denied stewardship over the land, the physical artifacts and the remains of their ancestors. In recent years tribes have fought long battles in the courts to regain this control. Indian Canyon has played a pivotal role in California in the preservation and return of Native artifacts to the appropriate tribal groups. Anne-Marie Sayers, Director of the Costanoan Indian Research, Inc., has overseen excavations and other development projects from King City to San Francisco. Remains are reburied in accord with tradition and artifacts brought into Costanoan hands for safekeeping. Some of these pieces are on display in the Living Museum at Indian Canyon.

Through the web site, phone line, and community activities, Indian Canyon serves as a clearinghouse for cultural events and for information regarding the on-going legal and political struggles of California’s native peoples. Reaching beyond Costanoan heritage, Indian Canyon served as the site for a precedent-setting meeting of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NCRS) with California Indians in 1995. In this 5-day Harmony Workshop, tribal people educated California district conservationists on how to work with Native peoples. The Canyon has been used as a model for the Forest Stewardship Partnership Program, demonstrating how federal conservation districts can partner with tribes.

Anne-Marie Sayers frequently participates in state and national meetings to restore ownership of cultural heritage to Native Americans and to educate government officials regarding Native American ways and rights.  Many of these meetings occur at Indian Canyon, including meetings with National Park Service and other state and federal representatives. The Village House will serve as a meeting space for educational gatherings that is consonant with the values and ways of being that the tribal people are trying to impart to participants.