The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Shingle Springs Rancheria (Verona Tract), California is a federally recognized tribe of Maidu and Miwok people in El Dorado County, California. The Shingle Springs Miwok are Sierra Miwok, an indigenous people of California. As of the 2010 Census the population was 102.
Government
The Shingle Springs Band conducts business from Shingle Springs and Sacramento, California. The Tribe is led by an elected council:
- Tribal Chairman: Nicholas Fonseca
- Tribal Vice-Chairman: Hermo Olanio
- Council Member: Allan Campbell
- Council Member: Regina Cuellar
- Council Member: Bernie Gonzales
- Council Member: Malissa Tayaba
- Council Member: Brian Fonseca
Shingle Springs Rancheria has a tribal court, which was established in November 2010. The chief judge is Christine Williams
Reservation
The Shingle Springs Rancheria (38°41′48″N 120°54′18″W) is 160-acre parcel of land, located in El Dorado County. It lies in the heart of Nisenan or southern Maidu territory and was purchased by the US Federal Government on 16 December 1916 on behalf of the Sacramento-Verona Band of Miwok Indians. Nearby communities are Shingle Springs and Diamond Springs.
On June 14, 2013, Rep. Tom McClintock introduced into the United States House of Representatives the bill To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to take certain Federal lands located in El Dorado County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians (H.R. 2388; 113th Congress). The bill would take specified federal land in El Dorado County, California, into trust for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. The United States Secretary of the Interior would be responsible for carrying this out. The United States Department of the Interior provided the following background information about the situation when it testified about the bill before the Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs of the House Natural Resources Committee: "On December 16, 1916, the Secretary of the Interior purchased the 160-acre Shingle Springs Rancheria east of Sacramento in El Dorado County, California at the request of the Sacramento-Verona Band of Miwok Indians. Today's members of the Shingle Springs Rancheria are descendants of the Miwok and Maidu Indians who once lived in this region. Currently, there are approximately 500 enrolled members of the Tribe, with about 140 living on the Rancheria.The tribe has expressed an interest in expanding the Rancheria by adding adjacent BLM-managed lands for improved access and additional residential housing for the tribe."
Economic development
The Tribe owns Red Hawk Casino, located near Placerville, California. The casino has won more than 100 awards. There are 70 table games and about 2,200 slot machines. Restaurants include Henry's Steakhouse, Pearl Asian Cuisine, Koto Grille, Waterfall Buffet, and Two Rivers Café. Kids Quest provides childcare and CyberQuest is a video arcade. Red Hawk Traders is a gift shop and gallery.
The Tribe's Shingle Springs Health & Wellness offers medical, dental and behavioral health for the entire family. It is located off of Red Hawk Parkway and is open to the public. The Health & Wellness Center accepts most major insurance, Medicare and Covered CA.
See also
- Miwok people
- Sierra Miwok
Notes
References
- Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBNÂ 978-0-19-513877-1
External links
- Official Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians website
- Four Directions Institute: Miwok