: ''For other places with the same name, see
Rattlesnake Island (disambiguation) Rattlesnake Island refers, variously, to the following places:
United States
* Rattlesnake Island (Clear Lake), in Lake County, California
* A previous name for Terminal Island, in Los Angeles County, California
* Rattlesnake Island (New Hampshir ...
.''
Rattlesnake Island is an island located on
Clear Lake in
Lake County, northern
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. Its land area is nominally , but may vary significantly as lake levels rise and fall. It is offshore from the north shore of the eastern arm of Clear Lake, the site of the
Elem Indian Colony
The Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians (also known as the Elem Band of Pomo and Sulfur Bank Band of Pomo Indians) are a Native American band of Pomo based on near Clearlake Oaks, California on the Eastern shore of Clear Lake. The Elem Indian Col ...
.
There is evidence of
Native American activity on the island, possibly dating back as much as 8,000 years, although little archaeological work has been conducted. This site is connected with the prehistoric
Post Pattern, and has probably been used by the Southeastern
Pomo
The Pomo are an Indigenous people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point. One small grou ...
throughout prehistoric times. The Elem Pomo Colony have claimed the island to be their place of origin, and a political and religious center.
A history of ownership disputes dates as far back as the late nineteenth century. Due to a controversial 1949 U.S. court decision, the Elem Pomo tribe lost legal control of of its ancestral land, including the island. At present, legal title to the island is held by a
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
businessman, John Nady (founder of
Nady Systems, Inc.)
About us
, ''nady.com''. His 2003 attempt to obtain permits to construct a log cabin on the island was challenged by Elem Indian Colony members but eventually granted. John Parker, a local archaeologist, petitioned the federal government to add the island to the National Register of Historical Places. John Nady is currently developing a sustainable vacation home there with solar power and resident livestock.
References
External links
Lake County News article on Board of Supervisors vote to allow construction to proceed
Article in Anderson Valley Advertiser on the history of the island and dispute
Website describing issue from Elem point of view with links to other articles
"The Struggle for Rattlesnake Island"
Free Speech Radio News, radio documentary, air-date November 24, 2011. Audio download.
Elem Nation of Pomo official website (under construction)
Lake islands of California
Islands of Lake County, California
Native American history of California
Islands of California
Islands of Northern California
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