California Valley Miwok Tribe
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
(43 people reported membership of the tribe (some in combination with other ethnicities) in the 2010 census[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( California) | |
| Languages | |
| English, historically Northern Sierra Miwok language, Central Sierra Miwok language, and Southern Sierra Miwok language | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Miwok tribes |
The California Valley Miwok Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of Miwok people in San Joaquin County and Calaveras County, California.[3][4] They were previously known as the Sheep Ranch Rancheria[5] or the Sheep Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indian of California.[6] The California Valley Miwok are Sierra Miwok, an indigenous people of California.[7]
History
Membership of the tribe was very low throughout the 20th century. In 1916, the federal government purchased 0.92 acres (0.37 ha) at Sheep Ranch, California for the benefit of 12 named members of the tribe.[8] They were described by the Indian agent who arranged the purchase as "the remnant of once quite a large band of Indians in former years living in or near the old decaying mining town known and designated on the map as 'Sheepranch' ".[8] In 1935, the only Indian recorded as living on the ranchería was Jeff Davis.[8] Davis was recorded as voting in favor of the Indian Reorganization Act on June 8, 1912.[9]
By 1966, Mabel Hodge Dixie was identified as the only adult member of the tribe living on the ranchería.[8] The Bureau of Indian Affairs developed a plan to distribute the tribe's assets to her that year under the 1958 California Rancheria Act, but never declared the tribe terminated or treated it as such.[8] In 1994, Mabel's son Yakima Dixie identified himself as "the only descendant and ... recognized member of the Tribe."[8] However, a recent decision of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior establishes tribal membership based upon descent from members of the historic tribe.
See also
References
- ↑ US Census 2010.
- ↑ Echo Hawk 2011, p. 1.
- ↑ Pritzker 2000, pp. 134–136.
- ↑ "Tribal Office Locations." California Department of Transportation: District 10. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
- ↑ SDSU 2011, California Indians: A-C.
- ↑ EPA 2012.
- ↑ SDSU 2011, California Indians: M-P.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Echo Hawk 2011, p. 3.
- ↑ Haas 1947, p. 16.
Sources
- "2010 Census CPH-T-6. American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2010" (PDF). census.gov. 2010. Retrieved 2015.
- "American Indian Environmental Office Tribal Portal: Tribes A-Z". US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- "California Indians and Their Reservations: California Valley Miwok Tribe". San Diego State University Library and Information Access. 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- "Government: Tribal Leadership". California Valley Miwok Tribe. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- Berry, Carol (January 24, 2011). "Miwok Tribe Settles Lengthy Sovereignty Dispute". Indian Country Today. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- Echo Hawk, Larry (August 31, 2011). "Reaffirmation of decision by BIA not to organize government of California Valley Miwok Tribe" (PDF) (Letter to Silvia Burley and Yakima Dixie). Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- Haas, Theodore H. (1947). Ten Years of Tribal Government under I.R.A. (PDF). Tribal Relations Pamphlets. United States Indian Service.
- Pritzker, Barry M. (2000). "Miwok". A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-513877-1.
- Simson, Caroline (May 1, 2015). "Tribe's Suit Over Control Fight Lacks Evidence, Court Told". Law360. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
External links
Each side in the ongoing dispute over governance has its own web presence. The tribal government run by Burley maintains its official site at CaliforniaValleyMiwokTribe-NSN.gov, with an additional site at CaliforniaValleyMiwokTribe.us. The opposing side (Everone and Yakima) has a web presence at CaliforniaValleyMiwok.com. Both sites contain both tribal announcements and news releases supporting the legal position of the relevant faction.