The Redwood Valley Rancheria (officially known as Redwood Valley Little River Band of Pomo Indians) is a federally recognized Indian tribe located in

Redwood Valley Redwood Valley (formerly Basil) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located north of Ukiah, the county seat, at an elevation of , and comprises the northern portion of the Ukiah Valley. It i ...

Mendocino County Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish for "of Mendoza) is a county located on the North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,601. The county seat is Ukiah. Mendocino County consists whol ...

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 ...

. The tribe is primarily composed of Pomo Indians. Redwood Valley Rancheria is a sovereign Indian tribe with the powers of self-governance.

Location and land status

The Rancheria is located approximately 1.25 miles northeast of the community of Redwood Valley in Mendocino County, California and consists of 160 acres of land held in trust to the Tribe by the United States as well as additional land held in trust to individuals. The property consists of 10 acres of rolling hills where the Tribal Office, Learning Center and 33-home Tribal community is located, and 150 acres of steep grassland, oak woodland and chaparral to the east. It is an irregular parcel on the east side of the valley and faces generally west. It extends from the top of the ridge that separates Redwood and Potter Valleys to the edge of the valley floor. The elevation ranges from 900 feet on the western border to 2300 feet on the eastern ridgetops. The area is in a mild and transitional climate between coastal and interior valleys. Rainfall averages per year.

Culture and History

The Redwood Valley Little River Band of Pomo Indians (Redwood Valley Rancheria) is a federally recognized Indian tribe located in Redwood Valley, Mendocino County, California. For several thousand years the Tribe’s ancestors lived along the West Fork of the Russian River, located north of Calpella, CA. The Tribe interacted with other Pomo tribes located within the Russian River watershed, the Eel River watershed, and with tribes found along the coasts of the Clearlake and the Pacific Ocean. They were hunters, gatherers, basket-weavers, singers and dancers. Their lives were rich with language, art, ceremony, and community. Sadly, much was lost with the advancement of European settlers before and after the California Goldrush. State and federal policies were implemented that dislodged the Pomo from their traditional lands and undermined their relationship to their land, language and culture. Only now is it being recognized that this was state sponsored genocide of a people and culture. In 1909 Redwood Valley Rancheria was established as a home for "Homeless Indians," as a result of th
Indian Appropriation Act of 1908
However, In 1958 the United States Congress terminated Redwood Valley Rancheria and many other tribes by enacting th
California Rancheria TerminationAct
In 1983, as a result of th
Tillie Hardwick, et al. v. United States of America, et al. Case
this termination was declared illegal. Redwood Valley Rancheria and many other rancherias had their tribal status restored. Since then the tribe has formed a tribal government, acquired a land-base, began an economic-development program, and established numerous social, educational, and environmental programs

Government

On June 20, 1987, ''The Redwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians'' was formed with a

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

and

bylaws A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...

, according to the

Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of June 18, 1934, or the Wheeler–Howard Act, was U.S. federal legislation that dealt with the status of American Indians in the United States. It was the centerpiece of what has been often called the "Indian ...

. This tribe now governs the Redwood Valley Rancheria by a General Council, who elects a seven-member Tribal Council. The tribe is federally recognized by the

Bureau of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal agency within the Department of the Interior. It is responsible for implementing federal laws and policies related to American Indians and A ...

References

Federal Register, Vol. 61, No. 223, pg. 58700

Indian Appropriations Act of 1908, 35 Stat. 70, 76-77

California Rancheria Termination ActTillie Hardwick, et al. v. United States of America, et al. Case
*

Economic Development Administration The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides grants and technical assistance to economically distressed communities in order to generate new employment, help retain exist ...

. U.S. Dept of Commerce.
California Report: Introduction, Cultures
'. File retrieved May 5, 2007. * Economic Development Administration. U.S. Dept of Commerce.
California Report: Redwood Valley Rancheria (p. 282-283)
''. File retrieved May 5, 2007.

Daniel J. Evans Library, Government Documents, 2004. - listing. File retrieved May 5, 2007.
Environmental Data Registry - Redwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California
- listing. File retrieved May 5, 2007. {{authority control Populated places in Mendocino County, California Native American tribes in California Pomo tribe Native American tribes in Mendocino County, California Federally recognized tribes in the United States 1909 establishments in California

Location and land status

Culture and History

Government

See also

References