The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California are a federally recognized tribe of Washoe Indians, living in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

. They are several communities south and east of Lake Tahoe united under a tribal council. The tribe owns over in different parcels.

Government

The tribe is headquartered in

Gardnerville, Nevada Gardnerville is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, adjacent to the county seat of Minden. The population was 6,211 at the time of th2020 Census U.S. Route 395 runs through the center of Gardnerville. State Route 207, known as ...

and governed by a democratically elected twelve-member tribal council and chairman, which meet on a monthly basis. Chairmen serve four-year terms."Government."
''Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.'' (retrieved 11 May 2010) The current administration is: *Chairman: Serrell Smokey *Vice-chairman: Rueben Vasquez *Secretary/Treasurer: Autumn Burtt *Carson Colony Council Members: Roger McDonald and Chad Malone *Dresslerville Community Council Members: Rueben Vasquez and Herman Fillmore *Off-Reservation Council Members: Jeanine Jim-Bluehorse and Helen Fillmore *Reno-Sparks Council Member: Lorraine Keller *Stewart Community Council Members: Blain Osorio and Darrel Kizer *Woodfords Community Council Members: Irvin Jim and Shannon Guerrero.

Communities

Carson Colony

Established in 1917, the community had 275 resident members in 1991. This colony is located in Carson City, Nevada and owns a gymnasium for recreation, youth programs, and hosting tribal events. The colony has four community representatives.

Dresslerville Colony

This is the largest Washoe community in population. 348 members lived there in 1991. It is located on in Gardnerville near the Gardnerville Ranchos. Most of the tribe's public buildings are here, including a community center, gymnasium, and park. They have five community representatives.

Stewart Community

Located at the south side of Carson City, this community was established in 1890, has , with 90 members. They have the Stewart Community Center. Their five community representatives are chaired by Wanda Batchelor.

Washoe Ranch

This ranch in

Carson Valley Douglas County is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of th2020 Census the population was 49,488. Its county seat is Minden. Douglas County comprises the Gardnerville Ranchos, NV Micropolitan Statistical Area, w ...

was purchased by the tribe in 1938 and 1940. There the tribe collectively raised hogs, sheep, and a herd of dairy cows. They grew potatoes and peaches. When farm production decreased in the 1950s, the land was temporarily leased to non-Native farmers.

Woodfords Community (Hung A Lei Ti)

Washoe Tribe thanks firefighters and first responders during Tamarack Fire

The only community in California, Woodfords Community is located near

Markleeville Markleeville (formerly, Markleville) is a census-designated place (CDP) and the county seat of Alpine County, California, United States. The population was 210 at the 2010 census, up from 197 at the 2000 census. History Jacob J. Marklee founded ...

. Its Washoe name is "Hung A Lei Ti." It includes the Woodfords Indian Education Center and a community center. Their five community representatives are chaired by DeAnn Roberts. Established in 1970, the community had 338 resident members in 1991. As of the 2010 Census the population was 214. In July 2021, Hung A Lei Ti was evacuated for seven days due to the Tamarack Fire. The community was successfully protected from the fire. The California Gold Rush brought an influx of European-American settlers in the mid-19th century. Calls for the establishment of a Washoe reservation and compensation for lost resources, such as the piñon crop, were ignored by the US in the late 19th century. Under the

Dawes Act The Dawes Act of 1887 (also known as the General Allotment Act or the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887) regulated land rights on tribal territories within the United States. Named after Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, it authorized the Pres ...

of 1887, Washoes lands were broken up into individual allotments; however, instead of the tribe retaining valuable lands in the Pine Nut Mountains, the allotted sections were typically barren lands with little access to water. In the early 20th century, Washoes worked as ranch hands, as construction workers, domestic servants, or laundry workers. Cattle ranchers leased Washoe land for minimal amounts of money. In 1917, the US government, despite local protest, purchased a tract of land for the Washoe, that became the Carson Colony. William F. Dressler donated , also in 1917, that became the Dresslerville Colony. The novel ''Rabbit Boss'' by

Thomas Sanchez Tomás Sánchez (1550 – 19 May 1610) was a 16th-century Spanish Jesuit and famous casuist. Life In 1567 he entered the Society of Jesus. He was at first refused admittance on account of an impediment in his speech; however, after imploring ...

depicts the evolving circumstances of tribal members over a 100-year span ending in the mid-20th century. Under the Indian Reorganization Act, the colonies in the Carson Valley area wrote a new constitution and by-laws, which they ratified on December 16, 1935. They gained federal recognition on January 24, 1936. In 1948, the tribe began preparing a case for the

Indian Claims Commission The Indian Claims Commission was a judicial relations arbiter between the United States federal government and Native American tribes. It was established under the Indian Claims Act of 1946 by the United States Congress to hear any longstanding clai ...

. They filed Washoe Case #288 before the ICC in 1951, asking for $43.8 million for land, fishing and hunting rights, minerals, and timber that had been wrongly taken from the tribe, plus interest accrued since 1863. The case was finally settled in 1970, when the tribe was only awarded $5 million. In the 1960s, John Henry Dressler helped to form the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada, a liaison between tribal, state, and federal agencies. Since 1966, the council has nine representatives: two from Dresslerville Colony, two from Woodfords Colony, one from the Washoe of

Reno-Sparks Indian Colony The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony in Nevada was established in the early 1900s by members of related tribes who lived near Reno for work; they became a federally recognized tribe in 1934 after forming a government under the Indian Reorganization Ac ...

, and two from off-reservation areas.D'Azevedo, 496-7 File:0510R Carson Colony Locator Map.svg, Location of Carson Colony in Nevada File:0940R Dresslerville Colony Locator Map.svg, Location of Dresslerville Colony in Nevada File:3980R Stewart Community Locator Map.svg, Location of Stewart Community in Nevada File:4560T Washoe Ranches Trust Land Locator Map.svg, Location of Washoe Ranch in Nevada File:4665R Woodfords Community Locator Map.svg, Location of Woodfords Community in California

Notes

References

* D'Azevedo, Warren L. "Washoe." ''Handbook of North American Indians: Great Basin, Volume 11.'' Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1986. . * Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. .

External links

Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
official website
Meeks Bay Resort & Marina
operated by the Washoe Tribe (official website)
A Guide to the Indian Claims Commission claims case no. 288, NC443
Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Reno. This collection consists of materials accumulated by the Washoe Tribe during litigation of their claims case before the Indian Claims Commission {{DEFAULTSORT:Washoe Tribe Of Nevada And California Washoe tribe Native American tribes in California Native American tribes in Nevada American Indian reservations in California American Indian reservations in Nevada Populated places in Alpine County, California Populated places in Douglas County, Nevada Federally recognized tribes in the United States