The Susanville Indian Rancheria (, ''bush creek country'')Simmons, W. S., Morales, R., Williams, V., & Camacho, S. (1997). Honey Lake Maidu Ethnogeography of Lassen County, California . Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, 19(1), 2–31. ISSN 0191-355

/ref> is a federally recognized tribes, federally recognized

ranchería The Spanish word ranchería, or rancherío, refers to a small, rural settlement. In the Americas the term was applied to Indigenous peoples of the Americas, native villages or bunkhouses. Anglo-Americans adopted the term with both these meaning ...

of Native Americans in northeastern California whose people are from the

Washoe Washoe or Washo may refer to: * Washoe people, an indigenous people of the Great Basin in North America Places ;United States * Washoe County, Nevada * Washoe Creek, Sonoma County, California * Washoe Lake, lake in Nevada * Washoe Valley, Nevada, ...

Achomawi Achomawi (also Achumawi, Ajumawi and Ahjumawi) are the northerly nine (out of eleven) bands of the Pit River tribe of Palaihnihan Native Americans who live in what is now northeastern California in the United States. These 5 autonomous bands ( ...

, Mountain

Maidu The Maidu are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of northern California. They reside in the central Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada, in the watershed area of the Feather River, Feather and American River, American ...

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 ...

, and

Atsugewi The Atsugewi are Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans residing in northeastern California, United States. Their traditional lands are near Mount Shasta, specifically the Pit River drainage on Burney, California, Burney, Hat, an ...

tribes.California Indians and Their Reservations: S.
''San Diego State University Library and Information Access.'' 2009 (retrieved 27 June 2010)

Reservation

4060R Susanville Indian Rancheria Locator Map

Founded in 1923, the Susanville Rancheria, located in

Lassen County, California Lassen County ( ) is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,730, and was estimated to be 28,340 in 2024, Its county seat and the largest city is Susanville ...

, 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 a retired American politician, lobbyist, and former reporter who served in the United States Senate, representing California from 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United St ...

and

Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel Feinstein (; June 22, 1933 – September 29, 2023) was an American politician who served as a United States senator from California from 1992 until her death in 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the 38th ...

, and Rep.

Doug LaMalfa Douglas Lee LaMalfa ( ; born July 2, 1960) is an American politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for California's 1st congressional district since 2013. A member of the California Republican Party, ...

, 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, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

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"
''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."

Jean LaMarr Jean LaMarr (born 1945) is a Northern Paiute/Achomawi artist and activist from California. She creates murals, prints, dioramas, sculptures, and interactive installations. She is an enrolled citizen of the Susanville Indian Rancheria. Early life ...

is a member of the Susanville Indian Rancheria.

Government

Susanville Indian Rancheria is governed by a democratically elected, seven-member council. They are headquartered in

Susanville, California Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) (, ''bush creek country'')Simmons, W. S., Morales, R., Williams, V., & Camacho, S. (1997). Honey Lake Maidu Ethnogeography of Lassen County, California . Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropolog ...

, and their current administration is as follows: * Tribal Chairman: Arian Hart * Vice-chairman: Robert Joseph * Secretary/Treasurer: Christi Choo * District 1 Councilman: Aaron Brazzanovich Jr. * District 2 Councilman: Alton Brazzanovich * At-Large Representative (On-Trust Land): Kurt Merino * At-Large Representative (Lassen County): Mary Joseph

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 Gaithersburg ( ) is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. At the time of the 2020 United States census, Gaithersburg had a population of 69,657, making it the third-largest incorporated city and the ninth-most populous communit ...

, 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 Herlong is a census-designated place in Lassen County, California. Herlong is located at the extreme eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the southeastern region of Honey Lake Valley, north of Doyle, at an elevation of . Its popu ...

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 and Lassen Union High School District.

Notable tribal members

, 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 Achomawi Atsugewi Maidu Northern Paiute Pit River tribes Washoe 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