Talk:Graton Rancheria

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I created this article April 4, 2007, by merging and editing material from two sections of the article on the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. As noted there, Chairman Greg Sarris was inspired to organize the FIGR's predecessor, the Federated Coast Miwok, when a Pomo Indian proposed to build an Indian casino in Sonoma or Marin County, California. Today, the FIGR is in partnership with Station Casinos, of Las Vegas, Nevada, to build its own casino in Rohnert Park, between Santa Rosa and Petaluma.

The FIGR is a contemporary, composite group of Pomo and Miwok Indians, and is of interest primarily because of its proposed casino. However the Graton Rancheria (1921 - 1966), from which Sarris took the name, deserves to have an article here in its own right. Although the local homeless Indians for whom it was intended never occupied it--and it ceased to exist 34 years before an act of Congress created the FIGR--it will be of interest to anyone studying the history of western Sonoma County, or the California Indian rancherias. -- Mukrkrgsj 04:05, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

I oppose the merge of the articles Graton Rancheria and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. My reasoning is that one article should focus on the land base named Graton Rancheria and the land base's history, while the tribe named after that particular land base should be about the people. Now, due to their histories, there should be a close link between them and with the Miwok article, maybe even developing the Miwok article into a general Miwok article and the more specific Miwok bands articles, and in the more specific article, have the Coast Miwok article have a discussion about the Federated Coast Miwok and its political successor inherent, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. CJLippert 18:34, 31 October 2007 (UTC)