The Guidiville Rancheria of California are a

Pomo tribe 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 ...

located in

Mendocino County, California Mendocino County (; ''Mendocino'', Spanish language, Spanish for "of Antonio de Mendoza, Mendoza) is a County (United States), county located on the North Coast (California), North Coast of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United Sta ...

History

During the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

, an influx of non-Indian settlers drove the Guidiville Pomos from their ancestral lands near

Lake County, California Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,163. The county seat is Lakeport. The county takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic fe ...

into Mendocino County. The US government sent

commissioners A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...

to negotiate treaties with the tribe in 1851. Although the Guidiville Band, among other Pomo bands, ceded their ancestral lands, the US congress did not ratify the treaties and the Guidiville never received their promised treaty lands. These treaties were locked away in Washington DC and not rediscovered until the 20th century. In the meantime, the Guidiville Band was left landless.Guidiville History.
''Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians.'' 2008 (retrieved 7 May 2009) Between the years of 1909 and 1915, the federal government purchased small parcels of land for homeless California Indians, called rancherias. The Guidiville Rancheria did not have the water or infrastructure for subsistence. Disease and harsh conditions resulted in early death for members of the band. Those that could traveled to the Bay Area for work. Other tribal members picked hops or fruit as

migrant farm worker A migrant worker is a person who migrates within a home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have the intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work. Migrant workers who work outsi ...

s. During the

Indian termination policy Indian termination is a phrase describing United States policies relating to Native Americans from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s. It was shaped by a series of laws and practices with the intent of assimilating Native Americans into mainstream ...

, the federal government unilaterally terminated the status of the Guidiville Rancheria in 1958. Their trust lands were sold to private owners. In 1987, the tribe successfully sued the US government for wrongful termination. In 1991, the combined

Scotts Valley Scotts Valley is a small city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, about thirty miles (48 km) south of downtown San Jose and six miles (10 km) north of the city of Santa Cruz, in the upland slope of the Santa Cruz Mount ...

-Guidiville federal lawsuit was settled, paving the way for the tribe to reorganize.

The tribe today

The tribe received

federal recognition This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...

in 1992. They have obtained a parcel of land, located two miles (3 km) to the east of

Ukiah, California Ukiah ( ; Pomo: ''Yokaya'', meaning "deep valley") is the county seat and largest city of Mendocino County, California, with a population of 16,607 at the 2020 census. With its accessible location along the U.S. Route 101 corridor, Ukiah serves ...

.California Indians and Their Reservations.
''San Diego State University Library and Information Access.'' 2009 (retrieved 7 May 2009) Today the tribe is headquartered in

Talmage, California Talmage (variant, Talmadge) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. Talmage is located east-southeast of Ukiah, at an elevation of . The population was 986 at the 2020 census, down from 1,130 in 2010. ...

. The tribe is governed by an elected council, headed by a chairperson. Merlene Sanchez is currently serving as Tribal Chairperson.Who We Are.
''Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians.'' 2008 (retrieved 7 May 2009)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guidiville Rancheria Of California Native American tribes in California Pomo tribe Native American tribes in Mendocino County, California Federally recognized tribes in the United States