The Redding Rancheria is a

federally recognized tribe 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 ...

with a reservation in Shasta County,

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

. It is a leader in the development of their people in their traditional homelands. Redding Rancheria
/ref> 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 ...

purchased the land that is now considered the Redding Rancheria in 1922, in order to provide Indigenous peoples with a place to camp and live. They had been made landless by European-American settlers in the area. Three groups of Native Americans in the area organized as a tribe and were recognized in 1979.

Description

The Redding Rancheria consists of Wintu, Achomawi (Pit River), and Yana

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

. Redding Rancheria was recognized as a tribe following a four-year lawsuit filed by Tillie Hardwick in 1979. It is located in the northern

Sacramento Valley , photo =Sacramento Riverfront.jpg , photo_caption= Sacramento , map_image=Map california central valley.jpg , map_caption= The Central Valley of California , location = California, United States , coordinates = , boundaries = Sierra Nevada (ea ...

, near Redding.

Government

The Redding Rancheria has a constitution, adopted in 1989, signed by Bob Foreman the First tribal chairman. It is governed by seven Councilors and three Alternate Councilors, elected by the membership. The current tribal administration is as follows. * Tribal Chairman – Jack Potter, Jr. * Vice Chairman – Michelle Hayward * Secretary – Patty Spaulding * Treasurer – Hope Wilkes * Council Member – Jason Hayward, Jr. * Council Member – Tony Hayward, Sr. * Council Member – Laine Hayward * 1st Alternate – Nicole Wilkes * 2nd Alternate – Jason Hayward, Sr. * 3rd Alternate – Miranda Edwards

Economic development

The Redding Rancheria established the Win-River Resort & Casino along

California State Route 273 State Route 273 (SR 273) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that serves as a business loop of Interstate 5 that travels directly through the downtown districts of Anderson and Redding in Shasta County. SR 273 was part of fo ...

, near Interstate 5 between Redding and Anderson.Win-River Resort & Casino
/ref> It has produced significant revenue for the tribe, enabling capital payments to each member.

Membership dispute

The Redding Rancheria's 1989 constitution states that it shall consist of all lineal descents of the 17 original distributees, who are listed on the plan of distribution dated October 8, 1959. This established the land as a reservation. In 2002 an elder wrote a letter questioning the lineage of the Foreman family, as she said its claimed ancestor, the late Virginia Timmons, had no children. This challenged the enrollment of Lorena Foreman, once a member of the tribal council, along with the descendants. In September of 2003, the tribe held an evidentiary hearing and later an anonymous vote on disenrollment by all adult members of the tribe. The constitution states, "All members of the Redding Rancheria who are eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be qualified voters in elections and General Meetings." But the Timmons' descendants were not allowed to vote on the issue. The family had provided documentation and noted that birth records (which the tribe had asked for) were rare for Native Americans at that time. The Foreman family was supported by the

, which wrote to the tribe and tribal chair Tracy Edwards. The Redding Rancheria was still requiring DNA. The Foremans presented family records, witnesses, testimony from two anthropologists specializing in California Native Americans, and proof that their family members' names were listed as related on the 1928 California Judgement roll (a state census that recorded all Native people). The family contacted a world-renowned DNA scientist, known for helping to identify victims of the 9/11 terror attacks at the World Trade Center. Virginia Timmons, the family’s matriarch whose membership in the tribe was undisputed, was the first to be exhumed. She had been buried so long that the team was unsure if a DNA sample could be obtained, but a bone sample yielded some. Virginia’s DNA was compared to a living descendant. The results came back 99.9% positive. The DNA results were presented to the tribe. The Foremans thought it was bulletproof. But after two years of fighting, the family was notified that they would officially be disenrolled following a vote from the general tribe.

Education

The ranchería is served by the Cascade Union Elementary School District and Anderson Union High School District.

References

External links

Redding Rancheria websiteRedding Rancheria DisenrollmentThe Redding Rancheria Documentary: "With the Strength of our Ancestors"
— ''on Redding Rancheria's website''.

Wintun Yana Pit River tribes Federally recognized tribes in the United States Populated places in Shasta County, California American Indian reservations in California Shasta County, California {{NorthAm-native-stub Sovereign immunity DNA Anthropologists