The Susanville Indian Rancheria is a
federally recognized ranchería of Native Americans in northeastern California whose people are from the
Washoe,
Achomawi, Mountain
Maidu,
[ ]Northern Paiute
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a r ...
, and Atsugewi tribes.[California Indians and Their Reservations: S.]
''San Diego State University Library and Information Access.'' 2009 (retrieved 27 June 2010)
Reservation
Founded in 1923, the Susanville Rancheria, located in Lassen County, California, comprised in 2000.[Pritzker, 248] In 1923 the Lower Rancheria was . The Rancheria acquired the Susanville Cemetery, , in 1975. The Upper Rancheria included acquired in 1978 and 875 acquired in 2002, totaling . In Herlong the tribe acquired in 2000 and has pending. in Ravendale were given to the tribe. The tribe purchased in Cradle Valley in 2003. The landbase of Susanville Rancheria in 2010 totals .
In 2016 under the bi-partisan "Susanville Indian Rancheria Lands Bill," co-sponsored by Senators Barbara Boxer
Barbara Sue Boxer (née Levy; born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and lobbyist who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the U.S. ...
and Dianne Feinstein, and Rep. Doug LaMalfa
Douglas Lee LaMalfa (born July 2, 1960) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 1st congressional district since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, his district, the second-largest in the state after th ...
, the federal government transferred 300 acres of traditional tribal lands from the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...
to the Rancheria, with the Department of Interior taking it into trust on their behalf. This will "enable the tribes to preserve vital cultural and natural resources."[ICTMN Staff, "Susanville Tribes Welcome Back 300 Acres of Land Via New Law"](_blank)
''Indian Country Today'', 24 June 2016
Tribal Chairman Brandon Gutierez said that the return of this land would enable the tribe "to preserve ancestral lands" and "vitally important cultural artifacts, including the remains of a historic Native camp, ancient petroglyphs, traditional medicinal plants." Control of this land is also important for ecology, as it "serves as a migratory path for antelope and mule deer."
Government
Susanville Indian Rancheria is governed by a democratically elected, seven-member council.[ They are headquartered in ]Susanville, California
Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) is a town in and the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the southern part of the county, at an elevation of . Its population is 16,728 a ...
, and their current administration is as follows:
* Tribal Chairman: Arian Hart
Economic development
The Susanville Indian Rancheria initiated plans in 2009 to begin an ambitious plan to diversify the Tribe's businesses, while creating new business(s) to support infrastructure while giving Tribal members and the community additional sources of revenue and jobs.
They named their newly formed business division, SIRCO - Susanville Indian Rancheria Corporation. This corporation was chartered under the corporate charter of the Susanville Indian Rancheria. http://www.sircorporation.com. SIRCO is now a Federally Chartered Section 17 corporation. SIRCO operates all the businesses of the Susanville Indian Rancheria. This entity is separate from the government side of the tribe and has its own distinct Board of Directors.
SIRCO operates Diamond Mountain Casino, the 24 Hour Cafe, Lava Rock Grill, and the Diamond Mountain Casino Hotel, all located in Susanville."Diamond Mountain Casino."
''500 Nations.'' (retrieved 27 May 2010) In January 2011 the Diamond Mountain Smoke Shop opened.
SIRCO has created companies that are developing business opportunities in the Federal contracting arena. The first company, Four Tribes Construction Services, located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a certified SBA 8(a) company, having received its certification in November 2011. The second SBA 8(a) company, SFS Global, LLC, obtained its 8(a) certification on November 8, 2012. The third company, SIRCOMED, involved in medical staffing, obtained its 8(a) certification on March 15, 2013. Other companies are in the pipeline to take advantage of the benefits afforded Native American tribes in contracting with the federal government.
The Susanville Indian Rancheria Corporation (SIRCO) manages 120 housing units in Herlong, California for the Rancheria. Current occupancy rate is over 94%.
History
In 1923, the federal government purchased of the reservation for the local landless Indians. They ratified their constitution and bylaws on March 3, 1969, gaining federal recognition under the Indian Reorganization Act
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 ...
of 1934.[
]
Education
The ranchería is served by the Susanville Elementary School District
Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) is a town in and the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the southern part of the county, at an elevation of . Its population is 16,728 ...
and Lassen Union High School District
Lassen is a Danish and Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Lars" (equivalent of Laurentius), and thus a parallel form of the more common surname Larsen. Notable people with the surname include:
* Anders Lassen (1920–1945), a Danish rec ...
.
Notable tribal members
* Jean LaMarr, artist and activist
Notes
References
* Hinton, Leanne. ''Flutes of Fire: Essays on California Indian Languages''. Berkeley: Heyday Books, 1994. .
* Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. .
External links
Susanville Indian Rancheria
official website
{{authority control
Maidu
Paiute
Pit River tribes
Washoe tribe
Geography of Lassen County, California
Native American tribes in California
American Indian reservations in California
Federally recognized tribes in the United States
1923 establishments in California