Disgruntled Academia- WWO Leaves Trail of Pissed of Scientists in their Wake

Hello,

I recently read your blogspot about the fraud of Caleen Sisk Franco and the WWO. As a history graduate student a few years ago, I believe I fell victim to this fraud when working on my thesis project. The thesis was on the experience of the Wintu with the construction of Shasta Dam. I eventually had a shortened version of my thesis published in an Ethnic Studies journal following review by an editorial staff that including several Native American professors from Sacramento State University.

I cannot claim Indian heritage, however the injustices that the Wintu suffered in the face of the Central Valley Project were appalling to me. Mark and Caleen Sisk Franco, although they agreed to be interviewed initially, never took interest in my project after the paper was finalized and published. This seemed odd when I felt I had uncovered some significant historical information that might be pertinent to their legal case.

I write in part because I wish that my paper/research comes to some benefial use for legitimate Wintu tribal members. I'd appreciate if you could contact me by Email so I might learn more about who you are and perhaps send you a copy of the paper.

Sincerely,
[snip]
Cultural Historian

SWF Rewind- Wintu Band Unity- If The Pit River Can Do It, We Can Do It

(map) Pit River Bands and Ancestral Territory


As seen in other tribal petitions where the tribal membership is either duplicate or representative of the same prehistoric tribal group recognition has been denied repeatedly thru the BAR process of recognition at BIA. As recently at November 2007 the Juaneno tribe had a negative determination handed down on their petition because several years previous to the final review as a result of tribal matters the tribe split, much like the Wintu Bands Today, into sepreate organizations claiming "control" of the membership rolls, and future administration of the tribal government. Around 1997 the Juaneno, a tribe from southern california that also have been on the list waiting for a descision on their application for recognition thru Interior's BAR process for over 20 years, split into two groups that became knows as Juaneno 1 and Juaneno 2. The Interior dep't declared a "NO" descision after the membership rolls were found to be duplicate, and the membership criteria innacurate and differing from interior historical documents, and the tribal governments not following proceedures outlined in tribal governance documents. All Wintu elders know that the band members are scattered throughout the modern tribal poltical entities that all claim the same thing, governance of the Wintu People.

In 1984 the Pit River Tribe (constitution) was recognised under the Reagan (R, CA)administration, and at that time were able to consoldate inter-bands interests for the good of the members to gain federal recognition, I'm not saying everything is smooth up in Burney, or Bieber, or Alturas, but they did it, now they have housing, they have a gaming facility, while we have spent the last 30 years watching with Toyon closed, no federal funding, no community and no guarentee for education for our children or jobs for our members, and without a land base members are found in substandard housing without any response whatsoever from the BIA.

Lets get together for the Elections 2008 and vote in members to the tribal council that will take steps tward, what the CILS attourneys have told us five years ago was the only was to a BAR final detirmination, to resolve the intertribal disputes between the seperate bands of Wintu, and move foreward for recognition for the entire tribe! Cuz if the Pit River can do it, So Can We!


* article written for SWF by Matt Root (Wintun) in February 2008.

Mary Jane Stevenson June 2 1920- December 3, 2009

Mary Jane Stevenson

June 2, 1920 - December 3, 2009

Mary Stevenson is survived by one sister Frances "Babe" Slaughter of Anderson, CA., niece Mary Hamilton of Eagle Point, OR, nephew Everett Easley of Milwaukie, OR and several other nieces and nephews.

Mary was born at Silverthorne Ferry near Copper City. She was a domestic housekeeper for 25 years. She belonged to the Historical Society of Redding, was a member of the Norel-Muk Band of Wintu Tribe, California Native.

Viewing will be Sunday, December 13th from 1-5 p.m.

Services will be Monday, December 14th at 10:15 a.m.
Both are at McDonald's Chapel in Redding.
Reception immediately following will be at Win-River Community Center from 1-5 p.m.

Indy Bay.org Linked to Fraudulent Winnemem Group

In May of 2009, Caleen Sisk lead her Dance Troupe of Wintun, Maidu and Pit River Tribal Members to the State Capitol to "War Dance" her way to a failed attempt at state recognition, and her attempt to circumvent the OFA process by which all 4 other Wintu Tribes have been waiting almost 30 years, since 1983, to pass thru.

Again, on November 20th, the non-Indian Mark Franco again wrongly used the traditional Wintu Title of "Wintu Headman", against traditional Wintu Law and practices. This time, the story was again written by none other than pen man, Dan Bacher, of Indy Bay.org, and online news source from Northern California's Bay Area, online Indy Bay News, a news source that has attached itself to critical water allocation, and tradional native resources thru fraudulent culture clubs, claiming to represent modern Indian Tribes. The Winnemem Wintu Org. that Sisk-Franco manage is NOT one of 309 tribes listed by the Department of the Interior's Office of Federal Acknowlegement. Nor has the WWO ever solicited to the BIA for federal recognition, instead they have repeatedly tried (unsucessfully) to represent the rights of McCloud River Wintu members that have never been associated with the fraudulent WWO organization.

"Caleen Sisk-Franco, the spiritual leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, strongly criticized the Governor’s plan to build a peripheral canal when she opened the second day of the summit... Why are they allowed to buy some sort of right to water in Shasta Lake?” she asked... Mark Franco, Sisk-Franco’s husband and the headman of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, pointed out the sacredness of water in tribal culture."

This man, (Franco) should not be claiming to represent the opinions, culture or history of a tribe he is not a member of and has no historical connection to, and in effect his sources have alerady been proven to manipulate Wintu Culture for personal gain. Nor has Sisk-Franco made any effort for this "Culture Club" to be inclusive to all members, nor are democratic processes held within the groups leadership structure, leading many to question the efficacy in Caleen Sisk-Franco sucession, into the heir-apperent roll of a defacto-Wintu Shaman, after the death of Flora Curl-Jones in 2004. Sisk-Franco have occupied Curl-Jones's land since her death, and wrongly claim it to be a "indian reservation" (federally held trust lands) to local representatives, and state legislators and resource managers, that know litterally nothing about Wintu History. Caleen continues to appear to be the "spiritual leader" and Non's take at her word. SWF accuses that Sisk-Franco manipulate true Wintu culture and hisory, distorting it not only to non-indians who don't know our past, but handing a piece-meal form of our culture to th next generation is another violation of Traditional Wintu Law.

A warning to press outlets. Be aware of what you report. You will be held accountable when the tribe becomes recognised by the federal government and the many, many fraudulent groups claiming to assist Natives in Shasta County will become exsposed to the public. Detractions will be being called for. If your going to report on Native Issues you better do the leg work! Ms. Sisk is not helping the larger issues of water rights, or even salmon harvesting for Wintu Indians, in fact she is going far into the arena where she actually opposes other Wintu Indian people and the other 4 Wintu Tribes that claim to represent all the Wintu people. If any non-indian reporter would just look deeper into this issue it would be clear that intergenerational fueding is being allowed to over shadow the fact that over 1100 wintu indians continue to go with out services from BIA while non-recognised, every leadership panel among the Wintu Groups (Toyon, Wintu or nor cal, United Bands, and WWO, as well as the Nor Rel Muk), all want to administer the funds and be in control when recognisition is handed down. Why then if "leaders" like ms sisk claim to lead us already why is she doing to so poorly? Would you want a dishonest individual controlling your housing or federal health care?

Then don't ask me why this website exists. Wintu members must not stand by and allow the feeble and weakest among us to rise to power without demandiing equality for the membership and oversite from the federal government. It is the only way we will end up recognised and with HONEST LEADERS that will do their best for all of us and not just select family groups, which is nepitism, and is illegal.

Happy Holidays Caleen!

Hoopa Chairman Fires Back, Klamath Salmon are "...reserved for the Indians of the reservations a federally protected right to the fishery resource..."

The Hoopa Valley Tribe Spends Millions Every year to Restore the Tribal Salmon Fishery along 12 miles on the Lower Trinity River, from 19th Century Mining and Over Harvesting by Non-Indians


Masten, Mais: Tribes are true stewards of the salmon

Redding. Com Editorial

The Hoopa and Yurok tribes have fished sustainably on the Klamath and Trinity rivers for thousands of years.

Our great-grandparents remember when nearly a million salmon returned to the basin every year to spawn. They watched nearly all of the basin's timber fall, causing mountainsides to slide into the rivers and creeks, burying salmon habitat. They witnessed gold miners disfigure mountains and pour immeasurable masses of silt and mercury in the waterways. They saw dams go up, blocking and degrading hundreds of miles of fish habitat. They watched canneries take almost every harvestable salmon from the river in the early 1900s.

Because of the tribes' reaffirmed right to fish, they are now co-managers of contemporary, world-class fisheries restoration programs designed to return the basin to the prime salmon and steelhead river system it is meant to be. Our efforts greatly benefit tribal and non-tribal fishing communities, as well as the recreational boating and guide services on the Klamath and Trinity rivers. Because of the tribes' hard work, the Klamath and Trinity rivers have a fighting chance to one day see restored fisheries. In addition to restoration work, the Yurok and Hoopa tribes' salmon fisheries are monitored by each tribe's respective fisheries departments. Our expertise is applied not only to monitoring of harvest but extended basin-wide to habitat, hatchery and natural spawner assessments as well.

Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about tribal fishing. The most common false belief is that we catch all the fish. That is simply not true.

Many ill-informed ideas are apparent in the Nov. 8 edition of the Record Searchlight's article about tribal gill-netting. The most notable example came from blogger Mike Aughney, who misused fisheries data to bolster his untrue contention that "because of gill nets, we are seeing almost no return." He later retracted his misstatement on his blog because a Department of Fish and Game official explained that the data Aughney cited was only a small portion of what is used to make the overall fish count.

In reality, more fish are making it to their spawning grounds and the hatchery than in years past. Up-to-date salmon spawning redds are at their highest counts since 2003. More than 2,500 redds have already been counted in the upper Trinity, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife announcement issued Nov. 9.

The Hoopa and Yurok are federally recognized tribes with federally protected fishing rights. We manage our fisheries and enforce our own laws aimed to ensure fish for generations to come. The Hoopa Valley Reservation stretches the lower 12 miles of the Trinity River. The Trinity is the Klamath's largest tributary and produces many of the Klamath's salmon stocks. The Yurok Reservation is located on the first 44 miles of the Klamath River, where all anadromous fish must pass through as they go out and return from the ocean.

The right of both tribes to fish and regulate their own fishing activities was preserved when the original reservations were set aside by in the mid to late 1800s. That right was later reaffirmed by Congress in the Hoopa/Yurok Settlement Act of 1988and again in 1993 when the solicitor for the Department of the Interior stated in his opinion regarding the fishing rights of the Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes: "It reserved for the Indians of the reservations a federally protected right to the fishery resource sufficient to support a moderate standard of living or 50 percent of the harvestable surplus of Klamath-Trinity basin fish."

The decline in salmon populations directly coincides with the occupation and subsequent mismanagement of natural resources by the federal government. This is not a new sentiment. The federal government has begun to recognize its mismanagement, and efforts are under way to remove four dams on the upper Klamath River and bring needed resources to bear upon Congress' mandate for restoring the Trinity River and its fishery.

Today, Klamath salmon provide a livelihood for many Hoopa and Yurok tribal members, and our tribal governments make it a priority to meet the needs of our membership. We have always and will always work and make sacrifices to ensure salmon and our people remain part of the Klamath Basin.

Leonard Masten Jr. is the Hoopa Valley Tribe chairman. Matt Mais is the Yurok Tribe's public relations manager.

Are Sport Fishermen Unfairly Targeting Tribal Culture For the Demise of Klamath Salmon?

Are Hoopa Gill Nets Decimating the Salmon in the Trinity River? from redding.com

Leonard "Spam" Ferris has stretched a gill nets into the water of the Trinity river near his home for about 50 years. After starting as his grandpas helper when he was 7 years old, Ferris now 57, says he catches as many as 700 salmon in a year with his gill nets. So far this year he's caught 400 and expects to keep filling his smoke house. "Its a late run so their still coming", he said.

While Ferris who is a member of the Hoopa Tribe, say he hasn't seen more gill nets this year along the river through the reservation than a typical year, up-stream salmon fishing guides charge that tribal gill nets are decimating the fish's fall run. "We just aren't seeing the fish we should be seeing" says Weaverville fishing guide Ron Hubber, 43.

While the two tribes on the lower stretches of the river the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes report they've hauled in over 28,000 fish, close to this years allotment, Huber and other salmon fishermen are saying that very few fish make it past the tribal waters and into areas where they can catch them. The angry anglers are airing their concerns on the internet

Mike Augheny,48, of Petaluma who started usafishing.com in 1995, has launched a campaign against gill netting on the Trinity, warning tribal nets, particularly those on the Hoopa Reservation are wiping out the Trinity run. "Because of the tribal gillnetting we are seeing almost no return", Augheny who says he's fished the north state for 40 years.

Allie Hostler the Hoopa Valley Tribal Spokeswoman said her tribe aims to protect the fish on the Trinity and American Indian gill netters are unfairly targeted. "I feel like this is a witch hunt to blame (the Hoopa Valley Tribe) for something", she said (a misquote- SFW).

Tightening Tension

To fuel his online argument, Augheny points to low numbers reported by state scientists, at a weir, a submerged fence used to collect migrating salmon, near Willow Creek. The data shows (with disputable scientific methods with error margins-swf) 9 salmon the week of October 2nd, and 19 salmon the week of October 29th. The guides and anglers say the counts should be in the hundreds. But Wade Sinnen the associate fisheries biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game in Arcata in charge of the project, said the numbers don't mean that there's a problem with the fish population.

"its not a crash situation", "there's been a misinterpretation of the data Sinnen said. While there are weirs that channel fish to pass by video cameras, or others tools to create a count, the Willow Creek weir corrals salmon into a trap where they are marked by scientists, Sinnen said. The marked fish that then show up at the Trinity River Hatchery in Lewiston is used as a part of the formula to create a population estimate.

Data collected on the runs since 1977 shows that the runs can vary widely, he said. The hatchery returns range from a low of 1,551 in 1993, to 30,386 in 2003, Sinnen said. The natural return vary from 5,249 in 1991 to 113,007 in 1986. He said it is too early to tell what this years run total will be, but all indications so far are that it won't be a large one. "The bottom line is the Trinity River is going to have an OK run", Sinnen said, "but not a real robust one."

Augheny said he thinks that tribal members are using more gill nets as a result of the ongoing bad on commercial salmon fishing on the California coast. As the commercial salmon supply drops commercial salmon prices have shot up. He said 20,000 lbs of fish is worth about 2000 fish $60,000, from the Trinity caught by members of the Hoopa Valley Tribe ended up for sale in the San Francisco fish market and he wondered if it were legal. (an uninformed position on native rights-SWF)

Dan Torquemada assistant special agent in charge at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries office for law enforcement in Santa Rosa said he received an anonymous tip about the salmon, but no laws were broken by tribal members. He said the tribe is allowed to sell some of the fish caught along the Trinity River. "Currently we have no evidence that the tribal members are using the nets in an illegal manner", he said, "they are operating under the Hoopa Tribal authorities."

The Hoopa and Yurok Tribes work with the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, a federal entity managing commercial fishing on the west coast, to set salmon catch allotments for the rivers and the ocean, said Chuck Tracy salmon staff officer for the council. This years allotment is 30,900 fish for the non-American Indian anglers, and the American Indian fisheries in the Klamath and Trinity Rivers.

Huber said anglers will be lucky to catch 4,500 salmon on the rivers, about 15% of their allotment, because of a diminished run. (opinion, not scientific fact, perhaps non-Indian sport fishermen should try working harder for their catch!-SWF) Gill Netting has long been controversial in Northern California especially along the Lower Klamath, said Tracy. (the PFMC-SWF) "Its a pretty consistent fishery, its pretty intense", he said.

Tribal Tradition

The state outlaws gill nets, but they are allowed on waters running thru the Hoopa Valley and Yurok Reservations that are governed by separate tribes (why does it seem like non-Indian have to learn the same things every ten years or so?-SWF). Flanking 44 miles from the mouth of the Klamath at the Pacific Ocean to the rivers confluence with the Trinity River, the Yurok reservation is centered on the river. Just upstream from the Yurok Reservation, (actually their boundaries abut one-another-SWF)the Hoopa Valley Reservation is a 12 by 12 miles square, 144 miles square it is similarly river driven. (actually the largest Indian Reservation in the state of Ca-SWF)

Gill nets allow the fish to swim partway thru their mesh. Cinching around the fishes body the nets trigger the salmons instinct to swim backwards (actually they turn-SWF) when they encounter an obstacle, when they do they become ensnared by the net in their gills. (this is a poor description by a non-Indian reporter of the mechanics involved with gill netting salmon-SWF) The technique is a traditional one used by American Indian along the river, said Hostler, the spokeswoman for the tribe. "We used to make them out of iris twine", she said. (and some people still do today like Matt Root (Wintu/ Karuk)-SWF)

Today the nets are made of thick braided fishing line held afloat with plastic foam (can plastic be foam too?-SWF) Hostler said nets on the reservation are usually 50 to 100 feet in width (actually that is a length dimension, the author is not familiar with native traditions-SWF) and tribal laws prohibit them from covering (another inaccurate one dimensional idea-SWF) more than one third of the river.

Traditional dictates placement of the nets, said Ferris, who's uncle jokingly said he felt like a can of Spam when he was a newborn baby, a nickname that stuck. "Everyone knows your spot and protects your spot," Ferris said. He said today he takes his grandchildren fishing and the fish they catch goes to his large family and elders in the tribe. Hostler said Tribal Fisheries Officials and (Tribal Safety-SWF) Law Enforcement Officers also patrol the rivers making sure members using gill nets are following tribal laws.

Tribal leaders meet each year to set a division of the allotment, This is split 80% to the Yurok and 20% to the Hoopa (while sport fishermen still get their 30,900 salmon total while Hoopa and Yuroks are forced to share-SWF) reflecting the larger size of the Yurok Tribe, Hostler said. The Yurok have 5,500 members the Hoopa have 2,500 members. This year the Hoopa members caught about 4000 fish of their 6,128 allotment, said Mike Orcutt who lead the Hoopa Valley Tribes Fisheries Department. (Way to go Orcutt!-SWF) The Yurok have caught 24,000 salmon only 720 short of this years allotment, said Troy Fletcher, political analyst for the tribe. (way to go Fletcher!-SWF) We're pretty close to the end of the season. Up River on the Hoopa Valley Tribe Reservation (the author is having trouble with the Tribes names obviously fumbling his way thru this article repeatedly using the wrong titles-SWF) the run continues.

Orcutt said on a busy day there are as many as 50 gill nets in the water on the reservation, but he said there hasn't been an increase in the number of nets this year. He said there has been questions on internet sites questioning whether the tribe is exceeding its allotment this year. "Our answer is we are in out harvest objectives, we haven't gone over our harvest objectives", Orcutt said.

Racial Divide (better be able to back up your inciting this issue redding.com)

The issue boils down to a racial divide says Fletcher, the Yurok Official (rude to omit this mans official title-SWF). There's always been tension over the tribal fishery. Fletcher said the Yurok Tribe has the most monitoring and enforcement on the river, but non-Indians don't trust the Indians because there is no state or federal oversight. (but there is, state and federal oversight-SWF) However, he insists that the tribe is focused on protecting the salmon and improving its stocks on the Klamath, of which the Trinity is a tributary. (the largest tributary to the Klamath is in fact the Trinity River-SWF)

"That is our river", Fletcher said, "those are our fish, and we manage those fish in a responsible way. Augheny said he plans to continue his online criticism and his concerns are not motivated by race, but by the type of fishing he sees crippling the salmon run.

"I am not an Indian hater", he said "I hate gill nets."

Are gill nets decimating Klamath and Trinity salmon runs?

This article has been removed. Please see the commentary in the article above.

Thank you for your interest in native issues in Northern California.

- SWF

Wintu Traditional Resources- Endangered Winter Run Chinook Threatened by EPA Toxic Sediment Removal

Discolored toxic runoff from Iron Mountain Mine can be seen in this photo entering the Sacramento River at Spring Creek in 2005.

Endangered Winter Run Chinook Salmon Threatened by EPA Sacramento River/ Spring Creek Toxic Sediment Clean-Up Project September 2009-Fall 2010

In September 2009 the EPA began the next phase of the Iron Mountain Superfund clean-up site in Traditional Ehl'-Pom Wintu Territory. The Iron Mountain mine site, adjacent to the community of Keswick, Ca was identified as the Most Toxic Polluter in the Nation and the third most Toxic place on the entire planet, and as a result placed on EPA's National Priorities List of Superfund Sites in 1983.

Iron Mountain Mine is 10 miles northwest of Redding, Ca in the foothills of the Trinity Mountains, in the northwestern Sacramento Valley. Established in 1850 by early Shasta County Pioneer James Salee, Iron Mountain Mine is the southermost mine in the historical West Shasta Mining District, an area of gold, copper, sinc, and iron pyrite mines. Open pit and subterrainean mining activities were performed at Iron Mountain Mine from the mid 1800's until its closure in 1964. Acid mine drainage is produced at the site as water passes thru the sulfide ores and discharges through mine portals and seeps. Secondary sources of acid mine drainage result from runoff through and over waste rock piles, tailings piles, and other surface areas. In addition to acid, mine drainage at Iron Moutnain contains high concentrations of copper, zinc, and cadmium. These historical mining activities have been a neagtive detriment to both the populations of Wintu native to the area, and the flora and fauna that was denuded by toxic discharges by water and by air in the form of sulphur dioxide that was discharged on a massive scale from the mines smelters for several decades.



Contamination migration pathways to NOAA trust resources in primary via surface water flow to Spring Creek. During periods of heavy winter rains, high volumes of runoff water are produced from the Spring Creek Watershed. This coincides with high acid mine drainage from the mines many seeps, tailings piles, and shafts. The drainage of which is released through Spring Creek Reservoir and Dam, and into the Sacramento River at Keswick Lake (an impoundment of the Sacramento River). The Sacramento River enters the San Franciso Bay 360 KM below Keswick Dam.

The Sacramento River is source for drinking water for over 90,000 people in Northern California. And home to endangered Winter Rin Chinook Salmon.

The Spring Creek Arm contaminated sediments being removed, were deposited during the 50 years prior to EPA’s cleanup actions. EPA expects that dredging the contaminated sediments will eliminate the last major threat that contamination from the Iron Mountain Mine poses to human health and the environment. Construction of the cleanup project infrastructure for treating, transporting and disposing of the contaminated sediments began in May 2009 and will continue through September 2010. The infrastructure consists of a pipe-line, three pump stations, a water treatment plant and the disposal cell.

What is the potential for toxic sediment releases during these clean-up phases? What measures have been takes to protect the endangered Wintu Run Salmon from taxic discharges thru the peak months of Winter Run spawning and rearing? What measures have been taken to assure the health and safety of those that live in the community of Keswick?

From the EPA website:

"On occasion during the dredging operations, waterin the Keswick Reservoir may become more turbid (murky) and turn slightly red in color. The potentialred color is due to the stirring up of sediments contain-ing high levels of iron during dredging."

Toyon Wintu Tribe Desperate to Compile and Manage Wintu Tribal Roll

Linda Malone's(Curl) personal art work was chosen as the crest for the entire Wintu Tribe in 2004.


So to Wade McMasters, Gary Rickard, and Linda Malone I say, "thank you for operating the tribe in violation of our own governance documents, your mistakes will make it easyer to point out to american voters and other tribes the lack of civil right within small non-federally recognised tribes like our own Toyon Wintu".

SWF Rewind- Wailakki Wintu or Wailaki From Eel River?

Wailakki Man Photographed on the Mad/VanDuzen Rivers


Wailakki Wintu or Wailaki From Eel River?

The Wintun people comprised pre-historically the open sacramento valley and the foothill region west of the sacramento river to the coast range from Just below Mt Shasta the entire distance of the Valley to Suisin and San pablo bay, including Napa and Yolo regions, that are in fact both Wintun words.

The Wintun (as the whole are often reffered) were broadly divided by early scientists into three wide ranging groups comprising this vast territory,

1) the southern wintun or "patwin" ("my relations" in Southern Wintun), there are very few s. Wintun tribal members left todayas a result of Gold Rush genocide, some are at Rumsey, Cortina, Elem, and Colusa rancheria's in the bay area and near present day Sacramento.


2) the central wintun or Nomlakki, wintun of the recently federally recognised Nomlakki of the Paskenta Rancheria, there are very few Nomlakki people left as a result of Gold Rush genocide, and several bands here were also extinct in the historical era.


3) the northern Wintun or Wintu- Wailakki- there are over 1100 modern day wintu in 5 bands from shasta and trinity counties, some can be found in the Nor-Rel-Muk Tribe and the Wintu Tribe. The vast majority are not- federally aknowleged by the BIA.
The northern wintu branch that the modern tribes represnt, pertinent to this website, are located within the northern wintu. Attention was paid by early ethnologists to record band names of these early triblets of wintu, but by the time scientists reached the northern sections of the state many thousands of wintu had already persished in the first fourty years of contact with white settlers, up to 98% of our people leading scientists estimate.

In the late 1800's after the field of anthrolopogy was created non-indian emmigrants from institutions began studying the lifeways of native peoples all over california, one of the first early anthropologists was Jerimiah Curtain. In his 1864 report on the Wintun reffred to the Northern Wintu of shasta county as being reffered to as the Wailakki by the Nomlakki south of them. The sylable, "Wai-", in Wintun means north in both the central (Wintun) and northern (Wintu) dialects, while the sylable, "-lakki", translates to language or speak also in both regional dialects.

Origin of the term Wailakki was first recorded by euro-american settlers amongst the Wintun of the open Sacramento Valley in the 1840's. First recorded by early spanish land grantee's like John Bidwell (Butte Co.- Maidu tribe) and P. B. Reading (Shasta Co.- Wintu Tribe) the term Wailakki, Wailaki, Y-laki, and the decidedly western euro-american pronounced Ylakkers, all as reffering to the Wintu of the northerly sections of the valley,

In the same time period in 1851, a treaty was signed at Cottonwood Creek with BIA Rep. Wozencraft, and seven chiefs and headmen of the Wintu, that is Northern Wintu of present day shasta county, which agreed to the cession of over 75 million acres of pristine Northern California timber ,agricultural and gold bearing land, in return for on 3.5 milion acres Reservation at Ash Creek, just east of present day Anderson, California.

The treaty was never ratified by congress in 1852, therefore the reservation abandoned and our tribal members that had been caught and herded there, were force marched first the Nome-lakki Reservation in Tehema county. The Nome- Cult Reserve which was also called, was shut down four years later in 1856 and our people again force marched with the Maidu being marched from Chico over the 7000 ft coast range mountains to Covelo, at the Round Valley Reservation.

There again ambiguity with the term wailakki again begins. One of seven tribes sent to Round Valley by the US Government, Achomai (pit river), Maidu, Pomo, Nomlakki (Wintun), Wailakki (used to identify northern wintu being marched into round valley), the term wailakki was used in form by non-indians on reservation rolls both at Ft. Reading, in shasta co. for northern wintu, and at ash creek rez for northern wintu.

The term that was in use in the trinty and humbolt wars of 1856-58 was Kelta, or Redwood tribe or indians. These groups are exsplained by miltary records as originating Eel River, Redood Creek and the south fork of the Trinity River. Or within the range of the area recorded by anthropogists as being the original location of the athabascan speaking Hochnom, Lassik, Sinkyone, Nugahtl, and what was named the "Wailaki". Kroeber stated in 1906"


"The athabascan speaking "Wailakki" of the Eel, Mad and Van Dusen Rivers, as they have been applied, should not be confused with the Penutian Wailakki of the Sacramento Valley, of which the term finds its origins, and where the languages were mutually unitelligable."


Here Kroeber addresses the earlyer application of the Wintu term for north language, to the Athabascan speaking peoples of the Eel River area.Wailaki the term that has been wrongfully recorded as the athabascan term these Eel River people used for themselves. Wailakki is of course wintu, and there-by penutian, in origin.

In 1901 the photographer Edward Curtis recorded of the athabascan speaking wailakki as:


"...the Wailaki group, in Humboldt county, northern Mendocino, and the extreme southwestern corner of Trinity. The occupied areas are now greatly restricted. The Tolowa and Hupa, belonging to that highly specialized culture area of extreme northwestern California, have been described in the preceding volume. The Mattole were all but exterminated about I860, and little can be said of them. The Wailaki group, and particularly the bands that speak the sub-dialects Kato and Wailaki, are to be discussed in the following pages. The Wailaki group includes five sub-dialects, or what might be called five tribes, if only the people were somewhat more definitely organized on tribal lines. Farthest north of this group were the Nongatl, on the middle course of Mad river above Blue Lake (the inland limit of the Algonquian Wiyot territory). South of them were the Lassik, on the upper course of Mad river, and on Eel river and its eastern affluents from the mouth of Van Doosen creek (the limit of the Eel River Wiyot) up to Kekawaka creek. Still farther southward were the Wailaki proper, on Eel river and its north fork, from Kekawaka creek to Yuki territory at Round valley. The Sinkyone territory lay west of the Lassik and Wailaki, principally on the lower South fork of Eel river,..."


Here Edward Curtis records the wailakki as the linguistic parent group name of the athabascans of the Eel River area as a whole, as well as the name of one of the bands, as "Wailaki proper" a linguistic disambiguation.

It was recorded by early Trinity County Pioneers living closely with the Wintu of Hayfork Valley (the Nor el Muk band of Wintu, was closest to the Lassik, Nugahtul, Sinkyone) that the Wintu both, intermarried with the athabascan's from over the Hill at Mad River (Lucy Young Photo), and were in friendly relations with them. Wintu place names within the eel river watershed (athabascan apeaking territory) exist to proove, the knowlege of areas to the east of lands recorded as being within wintu territory. the accepted boundary with the Eel river tribes was and still is a long running continuous ridge in above the south fork named south for ridge. This was the boundary of the athabascan speaking peoples of the Mad River side, ie- Lassik, Sinkyone and Nungahtl.

The Wailaki of the Eel River are not the only tribe in California that had the wrong name given to them by non-indians in direguard for, what have been, diminsihing cultures from our landscape at the hands of these same "euro-amercans" as they have come to be known. The Yuki also were given a name that has Wintu origins. Yuki in northern wintu means enemy, and no translation to the Yuki language (which like Wappo has not been linked to any of the later emerging language groups circa 2000 bp).


In the hisorical era it was white men hearing the word Yuki used generically in reference to any enemy at hand that that moniker "Yuki" was later placed by whites, and later incorrectly by athropologists, as the name for the Hochnom (Yuki) over the coast ranges to east where two groups of Yuki pre-historically inhabited in the Upper Eel River and the second group isolated by the wailakki (athabascan speaking), from their coastal neigbors the Ukhotnom Yuki. the Yuki name for the Wailaki of the Eel River north of them is "Ko-il".

It was when these early pioneers came that they began referring to the Indians over this ridge as Yuki, as thier Indentured Wintu did. The Hochnom of course were geopraphically isolated from the wintu and were therefore a Tribe with which the Wintu never prehistorically had contact. The euro-american settlers, as a result, used the term in reference to the Eel river Indians in the 1850's time as Wailakki, which is in direguard for their true name for the selves which is "Ken-es-te". By this time many wintu had been taken under indenturship laws and moved from their traditional bands locations. It is of note that Powers in 1860 recorded Keneste as a Northern Wintu term for the Wintu band east of the Nor El Muks and within the Hettenshaw upper Mad van Dusen river area.


It is not known at this time (2008) the pre-histoprical connection with the wailakki and cahto branches to the penutial language groups made up of the wintu of trinity county. Wheather these similarities are a result of tribal boundary fluctuations of the penutian into surrounding receeding smaller tribal areas, like the wintu into Shasta Speaking Okwanuchu territory in southern siskiyou county on the upper sacramento and upper mc cloud rivers, and the wintu into Hokan speaking Yana areas of the eastern sacramento valley, and intermarrage directly following the initial genocidal acts seen in the first decades of contact with europeans, removals to recervations and early massacres all had some effect on the population distributions of these peoples, but its historical effect has not yet been studied by liguists. The possible connection of penuatian to these wailaki as a language group or its possible result of intergration and linguistic sharing post-contact. It is difficult to assess these possible scenarios when the historical loss of both languages in daily use among tribal members is factored.

Note on Indentureship- The Indenturship laws (indenturship act link ) enacted shortly after the gold rush were used by european emmigrants to secure native labor for things like mining, harvesting and ranching. It allowed any euro-american settlers and miners around northern california to enslave any indian depriving them of life and freedom without the indian having any right what so ever legally. Many Wintu women were taken by early pioneers after killing entire villages of Wintu, these european's became known as "squaw-men" and were looked upon by other whites as second class citizens.





This article was written for SWF by Matt Root (Wintu) in Feb 2008

SWF Exclusive- Caleen Sisk Comes Clean About WWO Membership Roster

In a recent exchange on Mark Franco's wrongly named "Journey To Justice" Blog Caleen Sisk, heir apperent to Flora Jones, admitted after facts were brought fourth that not only was Mark Franco the alleged "Wintu Headman" was NOT in fact a Wintu Indian by blood decent. This coming after 5 years of claiming the traditional Wintu title to non-indian media and press outlets. The claim of such title has been of concern to the stiffled Wintu members, threatened with disenrollment when voicing concerns to the tribal council, since its first use in the Redding Record Searchlight in 2005. One year AFTER the death of the last recognised doctor of the Wenamem passed, Flora Curl-Jones.

Here is a link to the comment lists where Caleen Sisk (WWO Leader) finally made the concessions, not only of Mr. Franco being non-Indian, and non-Wintu, but also that their membership also consists of non-Wintu persons. This fact has also long been percieved, but the issue was never brought fourth in the diolouge, nor has it been known before publicly that the Members also were not actully Wintu Indians.


Link to Sisk Statement Winnemem Memebers Not Actually Wintu Indian:


Caleen said...

... We did not "allow" Mark to call himself our "Headman", we appointed him to that position and gave him that title. We know that he is smart enough, knowledgeable enough, and trustworthy to represent our tribe in all meetings. You are the disrespectful one, slanderously stocking our tribe. It's almost like you are obsessed or you must be hired by the BIA to cause "trouble". Are you on the BIA payroll? Is that how you afford to follow our every move.

I agree that most of the "Wintu" are not associated with the Winnemem because they are not Winnemem and we are not the leaders of all Wintus. We are not leaders for you either. Some Winnemem are enrolled in other tribes like the Pitt River, Hupa, Maidu, Miwok, Pomo, Wintu Tribe, Norel Muk, etc... And they have their own leaders. The other bands of Wintu are doing what they need to do to lead and represent their people too...

12:51 AM September 2009


I would like to thank the Wintu elders for their encoragement in persuing injustice within the Wintu tribe and granting me the moral authority to take on this issue and see it to fruition.

- The Editor of Stop Wintu Fraud

Cal Indian Gaming Not the Savior Some Thought?

(photo) Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, Ca north of Sacramento Operated by the United Auburn Indian Community of Northern Sierra Miwok and Niesenan Maidu

Is California Indian Gaming really the answer to all the social and economic problems faced today by California Indians? May current civil rights violators, thru illegal tribal dis-enfranchisement, include tribes that have established gaming operations. Opposed to popular opinion and adopted law, the majority of California Indians are not actually benefitting from gaming, despite state law mandating that non-gaming California Tribes recieve revenue sharing from the tribes bennefitting from gaming. Unfortunately this has not occoured as it was supposed-to under the proposed law. Why isn't gaming revenue in the State of California being used as it was intended to assist disadvantaged tribes accross the state? Why have tribes that recieve the right to game thru tribal compact with the state, begun to violate the rights of their own members by disenrollment? Why are these tribes that violate civil rights allowed to continue to operate gaming establishments after trimming their membership rolls?

When gaming was brought to California Tribes in 1990 it was meant to assist the welfare of all California Indians. A false dream to start with. And although some tribes have bennefitted in extravigant wealth from their gaming operations, the larger reverberations of actually improving the lifestyles of a majority of California Indians has not materialized, and those California Indians that do bennefit from Tribal Gaming in the state are the minority among California Indians, at a ratio of approxamately 3:1 state wide. That figure jumps to 5:1 when the non-federalized tribes of the state are factored into the equation. A group of non-federalized indians that are often left-out when it comes time to calculate for the states tribal populations. What is being done to level this inequality within Ca state tribes? Do legislators even identify a problem in this issue? If legislators use soverignty against us, as an exscuse to not get involved, and protect their gaming revenue stream to the state by inaction, where does that leave federal law to guarantees to things like equal protection, or civil rights enforcement?

Recently with the national economic declines, and local state budget shortfalls many California Tribal Casino's have seen drastic declines in revenues. Less people visiting the establishments, and fewer people dropping their hard earned american dollars into these gaming operations in the name of "helping poor Indians". Perhaps it is that many have become incised to the widespread acts of disenrollment among California Tribes, violating civil rights of fellow members, to increase revenue to remaining families by removing family voting blocks from tribes, stopping disenrolled families rights to legal recourse amongst the tribe, and violating the disenrolled members rights to due process and equal protection from tribal councils and individual tribal enrollment committee members gone astray from traditional Native American norms and actually kick other members, and even family members in a deft genocidal attempt to increase a constantly deflating revenue stream.

The actual act of removing members, effectively terminating the Indian members and their child descendants from inclusion or involvement or say in the direction of the tribe in the future are having their cultural connections to tribes severed by their own tribal governing bodies that are charged by their own governing documents and the Department of the Interior to uphold and protect the rights of its members is actually quite reminicent of federal policies of termination perpetuated upon indians/ tribes of this state over 70 years ago by Interior. Only this time the government didn't have to lift a finger to fracture tribes, tribes are doing quite a good job of fracturing california Indians tribes from within themselves since gaming cam along, and now over 3200 California Indians have been disenfranchised from their tribe, by their own leaders, without protections from the state of California or the Department of the Interior. As of yet two trribes have revesed actions to remove handfuls of members to increase revenue, or to reduce internal tribal friction by removing key members of opposition groups, or removing entire family voting blocks, like the 57 + members (and inumerated minor Native members) of the Foreman family that were removed from Redding's very own Redding Rancheria Tribe in 2004. The Redding Rancheria operates Win-River Casino in south Redding, California.

Has Indian Gaming in California really been the savior for California Indians that voters thought it would be back in 1990?

Mark Franco Again Claims to be Wintu "Headman" in Media

On 7/14 Mark Franco, political leader and partner to Caleen Sisk, self-proclaimed co-leader of the WWO, Winnemem Wintu Organization, claimed once again that he posessed a traditional Wintu title of "headman" of the not for profit organization. Starting in 2005 shortly after the late Flora Jones ( a Toyon Wintu Tribal Member) death Caleen assumed another self-proclaimed role as the next traditional spiritual leader to succeed Flora Jones following her death. Despite Jones declaring she would be the last such leader, and the United States Forest Service not choosing to extend a permit granted to Flora Jones for doctoring practices on federal lands, to Caleen following her death after Sisk's request. Sisk-Franco occupy Jones's land in Jones Valley, Ca.

Since the death of the traditonal leader (Jones), Sisk's partner Franco, has sucessfully claimed to be a "traditional Wintu headman", to various press and media outlets thot should be able to do better reserach. Franco was proven to not posess indian descent at all after failing to qualify for the 2003 Toyon Wintu tribally prepared roll. The Wintu enrollment committe members contacts the Apache Tribes in AZ and NM to verify a 2004 claim by Franco that he was an Apache Indian.

we traveled to Los Angeles to attend a meeting between native California activists and a United Nations investigator of religious intolerance in the United States. Caleen Sisk-Franco (Wintu), Mark Franco (San Carlos Apache),

Story Link to Franco Apache Claim

No Apache Tribe contacted by the enrollment committee responded that Mr. Franco was a enrolled member in 2004-2005. Despite this Franco continues to claim a herreditary title to a tribe that he does not posess blood descent from. Bringing into question the make-up of the current Winnemem Wintu Org. membership roster, and what descent, and what crietria are being used to determine ancestry by that group. The article:

Winnemem Wintu Tribe Fights for the Delta

Mark Franco, headman of the Winnemem Wintu (McCloud River) Tribe, held up a sign proclaiming, “Tribes Support Saving the Delta.” The Winnemem Wintu has been forefront in the battle to save the Delta and stop the peripheral canal. They are strongly opposing a federal plan to raise Shasta Dam that is a linchpin in the plan to export more water out of the Delta through the canal.

“The peripheral canal is a big, stupid idea that doesn’t make any sense from a tribal environmental perspective,” said Franco. “Building a canal to save the Delta is like a doctor inserting an arterial bypass from your shoulder to your hand– it will cause your elbow to die just like taking water out of the Delta through a peripheral canal will cause the Delta to die.”

Story Link

Wal-Mart Archaeological Site LaPena Memorial Placed

Even a youthful vandal who was caught in the act of bending and breaking off portions of a bronze statue’s headdress couldn’t stop the healing of Mother Earth that took place Saturday, June 20, at the southeast corner of the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Anderson.
“We know there was once a village here where this shopping center now stands. This was a flat plain and there was a spring up on the hill,” said James Hayward, Sr., cultural resources manager for Redding Rancheria, a federally recognized tribal council that represents the Wintu, Yana and Pit River people who long ago were once the sole residents of the Upper Sacremento Valley now known as Shasta County.
Redding Rancheria tribal elders were unaware, however, until nearly halfway through the excavation and foundation building process of the Wal-Mart store that the area in south Anderson was once a burial ground and should have been protected from commercial development, Hayward said.
Rather than halt construction, however, Redding Rancheria reached a mitigation agreement with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., which resulted in Saturday’s dedication of a Wintu people memorial, dedicated by Hayward and other representatives.
The memorial is a stunning 8-foot tall Wintu feather dancer caught in mid-step by Sacramento sculptor Frank Towendolly LaPena, 71.
“My family members lived on the rez, so when I was teaching at Shasta College and heard that the tribe was looking for a Native American artist to design and build the monument, I told them that I really wanted to be considered,” said LaPena, who received his liberal arts degree from Chico State University with a major in art.
LaPena works primarily with lithographs, wood block printing, paintings and some pencil and ink sketches, although he has done other sculptures in ceramics and wood.
Using historical photographs from the turn of the 20th century, LaPena created a series of sketches that he then turned into a three-dimensional artwork in non-hardening clay built on a balsam foundation.
With help from more than two dozen experts and assistants at the Art Foundry and Gallery in Sacramento, LaPena quickly turned his small sculpture into a larger-than-lifesize full-scale version of the statue that would be cut up and used to create casts that would, in turn be used to create a wax version of the same piece.

http://www.andersonvalleypost.com/news/2009/jun/20/wintu-memorial-healing-medicine-mother-earth-and-f/

Redding Rancheria Donates Millions, Wintu Still Homeless

A Giant Cocrete Gathering Basket Sits Atop Win-River Casino an emblem of the Redding Rancheria's Mis-Use and Mis-Claim to Local Wintu Herritage.

The 150 member Redding Rancheria operates Win-River Casino in Redding, Ca. Created in 1921 by the Federal Government, the Redding Rancheria claims lineage from 3 north state Tribes the Wintu, Pit River, and Yana. Although the vast majority of its members claim Pit River descent, a tribe whos traditional territory (IGRA Gaming Regulations) is east of the Redding area by some 50 miles. The Wintu Tribe were not granted lands under the early 20th century federal policies to aquire land under the Rancheria Act (1918) as most of its members had taken allotments in "severalty" (see Dawes Act).

In 1958 the Redding Rancheria was termineted as a Tribe by the Federal Government under policy known as Wheeler-Howard Act. The Tribe its members and Land were restored to tribal status as a result of a single womans case (Hardwick v. Interior 1983) that over turned a number of Rancheria's that had been terminated under the genocidal federal policies of the 1940's and 50's. From this began the modern Redding Rancheria's Economic growth. Fist as a Indian Bingo Hall, and later in 1991 when gaming was passed in California Win River Casino was built. A federally created tribe, gaming within Wintu Territory. The Pit River Tribe already operates its own Pit River Casino in Burney, Ca 65 miles to the east of Redding.

The Wintu Tribe, in contrast, whos members constituted the pre-historical descendants of Wintu, lingered without federal aid as dozens of Wintu allotments were flooded by the Central Valley Project's Shasta Dam in the late 1930's. These families were not re-allotted above the high water mark of the new lake nor were these Wintu Memebers compensated for their loss of land by the Federal Government. Individually or collectively. Many Wintu families remained landless or sought refuge among other tribes thru this difficult era, like the Shasta, Karuk, and Pit River Tribes. The federal goverment has not acted to aquire land for the Wintu Tribe in the recent era. Under these conditions motivated members of the Wintu and Pit River Nations Occupied the former federal facilites located in Summit City, CA known then as Government Camp, later reffered to as Toyon, and Toyon Wintu Center. The facility was occupied under federal law allowing Nativce Americans to utilize unused federal facilities to better their tribe. Toyon Wintu Center was open from 1971 until its violent cultural standoff between local and federal officials and the Native Occupants in 1987.

It is interesting to note that the Redding Rancheria was still terminated at this time and was not restored to tribal status until Toyon had been open for 13 years in 1983. It was not long until the Wintu Poeple were removed from Toyon in 1987 and in 1988 placed on the new BAR list of Tribes seeking federal recognition thru the BIA. A downgrade in tribal status that has never been exsplained to the Tribe by the BIA. The Toyon Wintu Tribe has now been on the list since completeing its official correspondence by a 1993 deadline. However, 4 (four) other petitioning groups representing the Wintu people are also curently petitioning to the federal government thru BAR:

Wintu of Shasta 1984 (approx 100 members)

Wintu of Central Valley 1984 (United Bands Wintoon since 2005) (approx 350 members)

Wintun of Cottonwood 1984 (unknown status)

the Nor Rel Muk Nation 1983. (approx 650 members)

(note- Sisk's Winnemem org have never submitted LOI letters to BIA for federal recognition)

All of these tribes entered the OFA/BAR process in the 1980's seeking relief for their members not directly associated with Toyon Wintu Center and still none have yet to be reviewed by the BIA panel after nearly thirty years. From the above approximation, 1100 Wintu Members do not recieve assistance from the BIA, yet 150 Pit River Indians operate Win-River Casino thru Redding Rancheria, and are federally recognised since 1983, despite this being a violation of gaming statute thru NIGC. Gaming in California has generally benefitted a minotirty of California Indians (at about a 3:1 ratio statewide of Non-Gamning to Gaming members), white the majority of California Indians continue to linger without federal assistance or recognition. Win River Casino has generated an estimated 10 million dollars in contributions to state and federal agencies (Root-Wintu Demograph 2001) from 1991-2001, while not contributing a single dollar to the Tribe in whom's territory they were established by the Federal Goverment.

In 2005 the Redding Rancheria destroyed a signifigant Wintu Archaeological site to build a Hilton Hotel along Interstate 5 in the name of economic exspansion. In 1998 the Redding Rancheria destroyed a signifigant Wintu archaeological site on their 38 acre Rancheria, while exspanding their Casino along Clear Creek, a Riparian Habitat home to endangered salmonids. In 2007 the Redding Ranchera began a "Cultural Resourses Dep't" headed by fellon James Hayward (Pit River). In 2007 protests were held at the Redding Rancheria Health Clinic in Enterprise, CA as a result of reduced services to Local Wintu Indians by the Pit River leaders at Redding Rancheria.

Gaming operations like Redding Rancheria's Win River Casino, and the Pit River Casino, thru compact with the state are forced to redistribute some of the gaming revenue generated by these mafia stayle gaming facilties into the community to compensate for police and fire services as well as infrastructire and gaming related addiction services for the community. Yesterday in the local shotty reporting where local Native Issues are concerned, the Redding Record Searchlight (a Scripps-Howard owned conservative based media source) published an article stating this years return was tallied at $517.000.00. Still no funding for the Non-Gaming Wintu who remain landless, without recognition, homeless... right where the Redding Rancheria wants us. How many homes could be built at Toyon for elderly Wintu and Wintu Families at Toyon for $517.000.00? What is to be done of the continuing disparity and continuing racial injustice in Shasta County towards the Wintu People?


Pit River Casino in Burney, CA operated by the Pit River Tribe