The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria is a United States federally recognized Native American tribal entity, comprised mostly of the people of the Miwok tribe. It consists of approximately 1000 members, governed by a tribal council which consists of seven members, under a constitution that was passed by vote of the members on December 14, 2002, and approved by the Secretary of the Interior on December 23, 2002. Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, Amerindians, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... This is a list of Native American Tribal Entities which are recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. ... Miwok—also spelled Miwuk or Me-Wuk—refers to native Californians who lived in what is now Northern California. ... December 14 is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2002(MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior, concerned with such matters as national parks and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ...

History

Documentation of Miwok peoples dates back as early as 1579 by a priest on a ship under the command of Francis Drake. Other verification of occupancy exists from Spanish and Russian voyagers between 1595 and 1808. Missions established from 1809 to 1834 used Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo tribal people as a labor source. These records assist in substantiating Native genealogical persistence. Events January 6 - The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. ... Sir Francis Drake, c. ... Events January 30 - William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is performed for the first time. ... 1808 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Miwok—also spelled Miwuk or Me-Wuk—refers to native Californians who lived in what is now Northern California. ... The Pomo are a Native American tribe. ...

Locations

After the Mission period (1769-1834) local Indian people continued in servitude to Mexican land grant owners throughout their confiscated tribal territories. Mexican and American period records show that a Coast Miwok, Camilo Ynitia, secured the land grant for Olompali near Novato within Coast Miwok homelands. Olompali is the site of a large village, extending from prehistoric times into the Spanish/Mexican periods, and continues today as an important historic locale. 1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... A land grant is a gift of land made by the government for projects such as roads, railroads, or especially academic institutions. ... Novato is a city located in northern Marin County, California. ...

Another important locale was Nicasio (northwest of San Rafael). Near the time of secularization (1835) the Church granted the San Rafael Christian Indians 20 leagues (80,000 acres) of mission lands at Nicasio. About 500 Indians relocated to Nicasio. By 1850 they had but one league of land left. This radical reduction of land was a result of illegal confiscation of land by non-Indians under protest by Indian residents. In 1870, Jose Calistro, the last community leader at Nicasio, purchased the small surrounding parcel. Calistro died in 1875, and in 1876 the land was transferred by his will to his four children. In 1880 there were 36 Indian people at Nicasio. The population was persuaded to leave in the 1880s when Marin County curtailed funds to all Indians (except those at Marshall) who were not living at the Poor Farm, a place for "indigent" peoples. Nicasio is a village located in the hills of west Marin County, California, United States. ... San Rafael (pronounced san ruh-FELL in English; original Spanish pronunciation is sahn rah-fah-EL) is the County seat of Marin County, California, United States. ... 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1876 is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... // Events and Trends Technology Development and commercial production of electric lighting Development and commercial production of gasoline-powered automobile by Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Maybach First commercial production and sales of phonographs and phonograph recordings. ... Marin County is a county located in Californias San Francisco Bay Area, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. ...

Occupation

By the beginning of California statehood (1850) the Marshall, Bodega, and Sebastopol peoples, along with their Pomo and Patwin neighbors were making the best of a difficult oppressive situation, by earning their livelihoods through farm labor or fishing, within their traditional homelands. William Smith, a Bodega Miwok, after forced relocation to Lake County during the late 1800s, returned to Bodega Bay where he and his relatives founded the commercial fishing industry in the area. By the early 1900s a few people pursued fishing for their livelihoods; one family continued commercial fishing into the 1970s, while another family maintained an oyster harvesting business. When this activity was neither, in season nor profitable, Indian people of this area, sought agricultural employment, which required an itinerant lifestyle. The preferred locality for such work was within Marin and Sonoma counties. State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles [[List of Governors of California|Governor]] Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Bodega is a town in Sonoma County in California. ... Sebastopol is a town located in Sonoma County, California, an hour north of San Francisco. ... The Patwin (also Patween, Southern Wintu) are a Wintun people native to the area in Northern California. ... People William Smith (1769-1839), geologist William Smith (1728-1814), Representative for Maryland from 1789 to 1890 William Smith (1751-1837), Representative for South Carolina from 1797 to 1798 William Smith (1762-1840), Senator from South Carolina from 1815 to 1830 William Smith, Representative for Virginia from 1821 to 1824... Lake County is the name of several counties in the United States of America: Named for Lake Michigan, near which they are located: Lake County, Illinois Lake County, Indiana others: Lake County, California Lake County, Colorado Lake County, Florida Lake County, Michigan Lake County, Minnesota Lake County, Montana Lake County... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bodega Bay and Bodega Harbor Bodega Bay is a small shallow, sand-choked inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the coast of northern California in the United States. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... The name oyster is used for a number of different groups of molluscs which grow for the most part in marine or brackish water. ... Sonoma County is a county located on Californias Pacific coast north of the San Francisco Bay Area. ...

Village home and California Rancheria Act

In May 1920, Bureau of Indian Affairs Inspector John J. Terrell proposed the purchase of a 15.45 acre tract of land near the small rural Sonoma County town of Graton, for the "village home" of the Marshall, Bodega, Tomales, and Sebastopol Indians. Through the purchase of this land, put into federal trust, the government consolidated these neighboring traditionally interactive groups into one recognized entity, Graton Rancheria. In June 1923, a Bureau of Indian Affairs census of the Sebastopol Indians of Round Valley Agency, California, included seventy-five individuals of Marshall, Bodega, and Sebastopol descent, and demonstrates their congregation in the vicinity of the Graton Rancheria. 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) responsibility is the administration and management of 55. ... Graton is a census-designated place located in Sonoma County, California. ... Tomales is a census-designated place located in Marin County, California. ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The United States government terminated the tribes' status in 1966 under the California Rancheria Act of 1958 (Public Law 85-671, as amended; 72 Stat. 619). The Bureau of Indian Affairs approved a plan to distribute the assets between three distributees (now all deceased). This act in effect called the Coast Miwok extinct, ending their rights as a tribe. In June 2000 when they applied for re-recognition, the membership of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria comprised 366 individuals. 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

Recognition

The Federated Coast Miwok and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, is recognized socially and politically as an Indian group by outside Indian and non-Indian groups, scholars, organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies/governments.

The Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin Gover, testified on behalf of the Administration at the hearing on May 16, 2000 in favor of recognition. In part Secretary Gover stated, "I am pleased to report that after careful review of the information submitted by the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria (the successor name), the documentation shows that the group is significantly tied with the terminated tribe known as the Graton Rancheria. Therefore, we support their restoration of tribal status." May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ...

External links

• GRATON RANCHERIA RESTORATION ACT
• Graton Rancheria Casino and Hotel Project EPA notice