Stop Wintu Fraud

RPD Murder of Pit River Tribal Member Opens Old Wounds

2011-09-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Memorial at South market St. in South Redding was erected after the brutal police shooting of Pit River Tribal Member Kenny Wilson on August 4, 2011

A long history of loss for Pit River Tribe
from redding.com

Indian experts, local historians and members of the Pit River Tribe say to understand the mistrust some might have toward authorities in the wake of a fatal police shooting of a tribe member last month, one must first look at the tribe's tragic and bloody history.

The federally recognized tribe is made up of 11 bands, whose ancestors were seminomadic hunters, gatherers and fishermen. They lived primarily near Mt. Lassen and the Pit River watershed in eastern Shasta County as well as in parts of Siskiyou, Lassen and Modoc counties.

In Shasta County, the two main groups were the Ajumawi, who lived in and around the Fall River Valley, and the Atsuegewi, who lived primarily in the Hat Creek area.

Historians say the name "pit" may have derived from the way early European settlers saw the bands digging traps to catch game.

Before Europeans came to colonize the area, the tribes often were victims of slaving raids from the fierce Klamath and Modoc tribes from the north. Like many Indians, they were devastated by diseases early Spanish and American explorers inadvertently carried with them, according to historians.

By the time of the Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, when thousands of gold-hungry settlers moved east to California, diseases already had decimated the tribe. That didn't stop some from fighting back, often with devastating consequences.

"Whenever the Indians did something, the whites came after them fivefold," said Dottie Smith, a Shasta County historian. "In the very beginning, they never had a chance."

Smith described one such attack in the Fall River Valley in a column published this summer in the Record Searchlight. In 1855, a group of settlers moved to the valley. The following year, they attempted to build a ferry crossing on the Pit River. The tribe's warriors attacked, killing two men, dismembering and mutilating their bodies.

The whites responded by gathering dozens for an armed militia.

"The massacre started as soon as they arrived in the valley," Smith wrote, citing historical documents. "Every village they found was attacked. At one village, over 100 Indian people were killed by rifle, pistols and knives. They were left lying heaped together about their lodges."

In later raids, whites bragged about taking scalps and cutting off tribe members' ears as trophies, Smith wrote. Later, whites used strychnine to poison flour left out for starving Indians to eat.

Whites also stole Indian children and gave them to white families, Smith said. Most of tribe members who were left were forced onto reservations.

Historians like Smith estimate there were some 3,000 Ajumawi alone in 1800. By 1936, there were just 500.

It was similar elsewhere on Pit River lands, said Cindy La Marr, director of the Sacramento-based Capitol Area Indian Resources, Inc. La Marr is a Pit River Indian from the Susanville area who shares Paiute ancestry.

She said a UC Berkeley anthropologist traveled to Pit River lands in the early 1920s and stayed with her grandfather's family.

The anthropologist wrote of tribe members describing white people heading to church on Sunday and then going out to kill Indians.

"Pit Rivers brought in $5 a head," La Marr said. "That was quite a bit back then."

La Marr said the men who weren't killed lost what self-value they had, and they had to rely on the federal government for rations to keep their families alive.

She said languages and traditions were outlawed or beaten out of children.

"My grandmother recalled that as a child she saw the first white people come into the area," La Marr said. "They were fearful because they knew it meant death. This is not ancient history."

The lingering animosity between the tribe and the whites boiled over in the late 1960s and early 1970s, during a national movement in which Indians across the country tried to reclaim their ancestral lands.

The most famous of the national protests began on Nov. 20, 1969, when a group of Indians occupied Alcatraz Island in San Francisco for nearly two years.

In an effort to reclaim 3.4 million acres of ancestral land, the Pit River tribe members followed suit and began holding occupations of their own, including on Pacific Gas and Electric property near Big Bend and on U.S. Forest Service land near Burney.

In 1970, about 100 Indians, including men, women and children, occupied a piece of forest land near the "four-corners" intersection of highways 299 and 89, five miles east of Burney.

Although the Indians claimed the land was theirs, the U.S. Forest Service held legal ownership of the site.

The Indians built a Quonset hut on site and told authorities, they'd "have to be killed" if authorities went to tear it down, according to news reports from the time.

On Oct. 27, 1970, 52 armed officers, including federal agents, state troopers and sheriff's deputies, converged on the site with more than 50 Forest Service personnel, many of whom carried crowbars.

The authorities claimed they were there to arrest people on warrants charging them with illegal timber cutting and to demand the Indians tear down the hut, but he Indians said later in trial testimony the force was sent with one mission: to "break the back" of the tribe's effort to reclaim their lands.

News reports describe an all-out melee when authorities began tearing down the hut and wrestling with the Indians who tried to stop them.

Indians, both men and women, fought with bare fists, tree limbs and planks of lumber. Officers and sheriff's deputies swung billy clubs and sprayed mace.

In the end, more than two dozen Indians were arrested, but only one, who pleaded guilty to a lesser assault charge, actually served any sort of a sentence for the alleged assaults on officers.

The rest had their charges dismissed or were acquitted after a nearly two-month federal trial.

"At Four Corners, the Indian people felt they gained a little bit of ground," said Beverly Benner Ogle, a 70-year-old Indian historian from Paynes Creek, who traces part of her lineage to the Atsugewi.

There were other, less-violent occupations, confrontations and arrests in the few years that followed.

"It was a statement to the federal government that Pit River people had never agreed to the taking of ancestral lands," La Marr said. "This was a big statement and caught the eyes of the nation. This was a tribe who stood up for what it believed in and could not be bought."

The tribe's lawyers also fought in court in failed bids to sue to reclaim their ancestral lands.

The tribe lingered largely in poverty over the following decades.

Then, in the mid-1990s, the tribe followed the lead of dozens of other California Indian groups and built a small casino outside Burney.

Construction started in 1996.

Before the groundbreaking, the casino was billed by tribal leaders as a way to bring much-needed revenue to the Indians and to the Burney area.

The tribe's official website has just one item on it under the "history" section, an online video news clip from 1970 showing a tribal lawyer describing to a reporter why the tribe decided to take over PG&E property.

"It has always been their land," he says.

What Is the Tribal Position on Hatchet Mtn Wind Energy? Do All Tribes Oppose Green Energy?

2011-01-30T04:33:00.000-08:00

Burney jury still out on Hatchet Ridge
(from redding.com)

A band of wind turbines 6½ miles long towers over Burney.

The 44 turbines on Hatchet Ridge once were the topic of fierce debate in the small eastern Shasta County town, where lines were drawn between people who wanted to see jobs and economic benefits from construction and people who didn’t want blighted views and worried about danger to birds and other wildlife.

Now, just months after the turbine project was completed, those complaints seem to have faded.

“I have to be quite honest with you,” said David Larson, 70, of Burney, one of the project’s staunchest opponents. “There’s not the discussion I thought there would be. Everybody’s kind of accepted the whole project,” he said.

“I really thought people would be more upset than they are.”

The turbines began full delivery of power to Pacific Gas and Electric last month, said Denny Boyles, a PG&E spokesman.

The 103-megawatt project will supply enough electricity annually to power 50,000 homes, he said. PG&E is buying all of it, he added. He declined to say how much the company is paying.

A new ridge

There’s no doubt that the turbines changed the look of Hatchet Ridge, which forms Burney’s western skyline.

“They dominate the landscape from downtown,” said Ken Archuleta, 64, of Burney.

Archuleta, as was Larson, was part of Save the Burney Skyline, a grass-roots group that tried to block the project. The group’s key concern was how the turbines might ruin the natural beauty of the ridge above town. He’s worried now that wind power companies will build more.

“I’m just afraid that there’s another one and another one,” he said.

Warren Messick, the facility manager at Hatchet Ridge, has a different view. He said the turbines are a way to enjoy the scenery, for him at least.

He said his previous two jobs were in Southern California and Kansas at two places defined by flatland. Now his project is on a ridge with views of Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak.

“It’s kind of the envy of the wind industry,” he said.

Money and jobs

The turbines are bringing money and some jobs to Burney.

Pattern Energy of San Francisco gave $2 million last year — $1 million to Shasta County and $500,000 each to the Burney Chamber of Commerce, which passed the money to the Shasta Regional Community Foundation, and an education fund, said Russ Mull, director of resource management for Shasta County.

And for the next 20 years the company will give the county $100,000 annually and $25,000 per year to the Burney Regional Community Fund and Burney-Fall River Education Foundation.

Mull said the county hasn’t spent any of its share yet and is holding it in a savings account until there’s enough to pay for a new or remodeled building that will house the town’s library and county offices.

“The board has put it on hold with the understanding that there isn’t enough money yet,” he said.

How much the building will cost depends on its design and how many offices it holds. The building likely will cost $300 per square foot, said Pat Minturn, public works director. That could put the price in the millions. “It gets quite expensive,” he said.

As for jobs, the biggest benefactor around Burney has been Hat Creek Construction, which helped build the project and now is working to keep its maintenance road clear of snow.

“It’s provided a lot of work,” said Perry Thompson, vice president at Hat Creek. “We’ve been working there on and off for three years.”

When construction was in full swing the company had 40 or more workers doing tree clearing, building roads and creating pads for the turbines.

In all, the project provided the company about $15 million of work, Thompson said.

But Hatchet Ridge created fewer than a dozen permanent jobs, and all but one of those went to a local resident. The workers mostly moved in from outside the north state.

Pattern employs two people at the project, said Pattern spokeswoman Beth O'Brien: the facility manager, Messick, and an assistant manager, Larry Pruitt. Pruitt previously worked at Burney Forest Power, she said, while Messick worked at other wind projects around the country before moving to the north state to work at Hatchet Ridge.

Siemens, the German company that built the turbines, has eight workers at the project doing maintenance and troubleshooting. Of the eight, four live in Redding, three in Burney and one in Fall River Mills, said Monika Wood, Siemens spokeswoman.

But she didn’t know if those employees were from the north state or if they moved from elsewhere to fill the positions.

Sacred land and danger to birds

American Indians who protested the turbines and threatened lawsuits say the project destroyed a sacred site on Hatchet Ridge.

“You can’t replace it,” said Radley Davis, who was a part of the Advocates for the Protection of Sacred Sites.

He said he’s disappointed in the county’s leadership for approving the project and he’s ready to oppose any more wind power development.

Along with desecrating the land, the turbines are a danger to birds, opponents say. “They will be killing eagles and other birds in that area,” said Louise Davis, a councilwoman with the Istawi Band of the Pit River Tribe.

Pattern, the state Department of Fish and Game and the local Audubon Society chapter set up an advisory committee focused on monitoring bird mortality at Hatchet Ridge. The company hired an environmental consultant to watch for birds killed by the big blades.

“Absolutely no fatalities have been found to date during the surveys,” said Matt Dallas, Pattern spokesman.

http://www.redding.com/news/2011/jan/16/burney-jury-still-out-hatchet-ridge/

Regional- Modoc Tribe Seeks Split From Klamath Tribes

2010-12-12T08:15:00.000-08:00

via- Mercury News

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.—The recently created Modoc Nation, a group of Modoc Indians attempting to break away from the Klamath Tribes, is working to create its legitimacy among other Indian tribes and government agencies.
"How we become recognized is that we begin acting and behaving as what we truly are, a nation," said Perry Chesnut, the Modocs' secretary of state. "We're going to end up with a brighter future for our people."

Earlier this summer, Modocs—including several who are enrolled members of the Klamath Tribes, which includes Klamaths, Modocs and Yahooskins—declared their independence from the Klamath Tribes. Chesnut said nearly 100 adults, including 30 enrolled Klamaths, have obtained voting memberships.

Until the Modoc Nation is formally recognized and receives federal benefits, Chesnut said, Modocs are being instructed not to withdraw as members of the Klamath Tribes.

Chesnut said the split reflects 146 years of oppression by the Klamaths, including events that caused Modocs led by Captain Jack to leave the Klamath Reservation and begin the spiral of events that led to the Modoc War in 1872-73. He said differences between Modocs and Klamaths have persisted since then.

"There was no hope," he said of divisions between Klamaths and Modocs. "The Modocs are just a captive group."

Spokesmen for the Klamath Tribes declined to comment.

Efforts preparing for the split have been ongoing for about two years. In declaring their independence, Modoc Nation leaders said they are already a federally recognized tribe but claimed they have been under the "oppressive yoke of the Klamath government."

Unlike the Klamaths, who require enrollees be at least one-quarter Klamath, Modoc or Yahooskin, Chesnut said the Modoc Nation has other standards, primarily based on lineal descent from a Modoc.

"That's a road to extinction as a tribe," he said of the one-quarter qualification, noting the Modocs will provide a genealogist and three-member citizenship committee to help determine eligibility.

M. Sean Manion will head an economic development committee to develop a self-sufficiency plan. During a meeting to discuss creating a separate tribe last fall, several said the Klamaths who have historically significantly outnumbered Modocs refused to pursue viable economic development programs.

Chesnut said a goal of the Modoc Nation is to become completely self-sufficient in 15 years and end any reliance on federal funding. He said the only desired long-range relationship will be to ensure the Modocs' hunting, fishing, gathering and trapping rights are recognized.

"We want to be independent," he said. "We don't mind working for what we get."

Chesnut said the Modocs have already established diplomatic relationships with other tribes, including the Pit River and Yahooskin, and are actively pursing recognition from other tribes.

Efforts are also being made to have the Modoc Nation recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Modoc's have made contact with environmental agencies and sent in comments to federal and state agencies on matters affecting Indian tribes.

The Modocs' legislative members tentatively plan to meet in Klamath Falls in September and, Chesnut said, will request to meet with Klamath Tribes leaders "so we can both move forward in harmony and without conflict. We don't have to have an adversarial relationship with the Klamaths."

SWF Rewind- Wintu Tribal Elections Fraud

2010-08-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Wintu Tribe of Northern California has operated a non-profit organization since 1993 after thier incorporation as a tribal 501.3 (c) status entity seven years after the closure of Toyon Wintu Center in 1987. The current Wintu Tribe is represnted in its incorporated capacity by the tribally elected governing body, known as the Wintu Tribal Council. Consisting of 12 elected Wintu Members, they are elected on staggered terms.

Annual elections for the Wintu Tribe/ Toyon Wintu Tribe historically have been public knowlege and thier candidates and results reguarly published in Redding area publications like the Record Searchlight, currently an E.W. Scripps Co. owned conseravtive based news source that continues to shun the focus of media attention on the Wintu Tribe or its varied issues, in favor of the more economically contributive Redding Rancheria (RR). The RR also based in Redding and established Win- River Casino a lucritive native american gaming faciltiy in operation since 1990. The gaming revenue generated by Win- River Casino, however, does not benfit the larger Wintu Tribe, in which, ancestral territory the quasi alien Win-River Casino lies. The RR contibutes hundreds of thousands of dollars to the State of California every year, tens of thousands of dollars to the Newspaper annualy, partially, it is alleged. to supress the plight of the Wintu People. The cumulative generated contributory asset revenue capacity to the state and other agencies generated by Win-River (and the RR)since its opening is estimated to be in excess of $180,000,000 (180 million) US dollars (Root- Wintu Demograph- 1998), while the Wintu Tribe remains landless and without federal aknowlegement.

It has come to the attention of Stop Wintu Fraud Editors that a small group of Wintu Members were disenrolled from the Toyon Wintu Tribe/ Wintu Tribe of Northern California's tribally prepared "base roll", that has not yet been approved by the secreatry of the interior (BIA). Carol Sinclair, Wintu Elder and Cultural Resourse Director for the tribe for the last two decades, was disenrolled as a result of the actions of the tribal council and its enrollment committee shortly after the 2003 Wintu Tribal Elections along with 10 other individuals. These 11 Wintu have become known as the Wintu 11. Ms. Sinclair has gone on record as stating it was following provocation, her and another unidentified Wintu Tribal member concurrently serving on the Wintu Tribe Enrollment Committee began to bring questions to the Tribal Council as to enrollment proceedures, and tribal election proceedures, and brought fourth allegations of vote tampering by the 2002 Tribal Council member Linda Malone, and Carol Martin. Vote tampering allegations that include Ms. Sinclair, "... watching Linda throw ballots out (of the ballot box) and onto the floor, and in the trash...". Taking place in June 2002 at the old Wintu Tribal office at the end of the Downtown Mall on Placer St. in Redding. This is alleged to have occoured in front of Womens Leagure of Voters Officials present to provide oversite to the Tribal Election by an unbiased outside body. But whether or not the League recognises the Results or these Election Officials, or the Officials identities has yet to be verified by Stop Wintu Fraud. Other Tribal members that voted in person in 2003 reported seeing the, "... grey haired non-indian ladies in a seprerate room form the voting chambers...", that were, "...tallying ballots with Carol Martin and Linda Malone present."

In an attempt to assure the intergrity of the vote Sinclair and another un-named Tribal Member tried and failed to gain larger tribal support for recount and later recall of the tribal council in 2004. Actions of which are legal proceedures outlined in the Wintu Constitution. These Individuals were bothat the time of the incident serving on the Wintu Election Committee and serving as Election Officers at the proceedings, and were told ot leave while the "illegal" election proceed. The election results saw the Encumbants all being re-elected, some for the 5 and 6th terms consecutively, reigns of tribal leadership that lasted for over 15 years in some cases. Gary Rickard, a progressive, was elected chairman as a result of this vote while some traditionalists, like Loretta Root, lost by small margins.

The tribal council at that time (1998-2006) has come to be known as the Curl-Malone Board which was responsible for several attemts at violations of the tribal members rights inclding political convolution with the WWO (winnemem wintu organization), seeking to reduce the tribal roll (dis-enroll) by more than 350 people, and passing a illeaglly written document as the 2003 interim Wintu Constitution, an attmept by the former CILS attourney, Mary Risling, to draft controls into the Wintu Constitution. Controls that would have enabled the Curl-Malone Board to violate various former tribal member rights that are guarenteed by former Toyon Constitution. The governing document by which the tribe had been operating, albeit sporadically, since the closure of the facilities at Toyon by the BIA in 1987. The rule-change violations alleged in the secific rights vioaltions include the language "...right to deprive of life propertry or liberty without prior notice...", and the heavily suspect language that attempted to hand the WWO power to control all of the tribes archaeological and spiritual resourses. The language was removed by a majority vote of tribal members in 2003, denoucing the Curl-Malone Board and its memebers ability and future goal, in capacity to regain the sole rights to the use of the lands at Toyon Wintu Center.

The Wintu 11 are a small numer of California Indians in comparison to the other 2000+ tribal disenrollments statewide California's Gaming Tribes have seen in the last several years, but the lack of civil rights enforcement quite equal. 57 members of the Foreman Family were also disenrolled from the Redding Rancheria, a scandal which recieved national media attention, the Wintu 11 and the the Disenrollments of 2003 by the Wintu Tribe's enrollment committee members in contrast has seen no media attention to this day.

Allegations of illegal tribal elections, tribal voter fraud, illegal use of the identity of the Womens League of Voters by the Wintu Enrollment Committee, Wintu Constitution and Wintu Election Ordanance violations, vioaltions of the Brown Act, Violations of Civil Rights, Illegal Seizure of Tribal Assetts without CFR Probate, are just some of the Allegations that are coming to light as a result of inquests by Stop Wintu Fraud contributors.

Stop Wintu Fraud is seeking Contributors on Wintu Rights Violations, you can email stopwintufraud@gmail.com for information on how to contribute to the exsposure of Wintu Fraud.

Wintu Elder Carol Sinclair Passes

2010-08-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Carol Sinclair- Born December 29. 1943, passed away July 26, 2010.
Carol is survived by her son John Neely and his wife Laura; daughter Lisa Chapman; grandchildren Jeff Henderling, Sean Neely, Dylan Neely, and Cody Chapman II; great granddau...ghter Vivienne Neely; many aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends; and her horses Mytar and Fury; dogs Beowolf and Little Bear; and cats Ivan and Rascal.
Carol grew up in Redding and was always very active. As a youth, she enjoyed pitching women's fast pitch softball, working on her cars, spelunking, and caring for her many animals.
After marriage, Carol and her family moved to Eureka. While in Eureka working and raising her children, Carol began a lifelong relationship with and love for horses. When Carol returned to Redding, her horses came as well.
Carol was an active member of the horse community and was called on frequently for her expertise. Carol was also an avid supporter, educator, and advocate for her Wintu heritage.
Though she is no longer with us in the flesh, she will continue to guide and support us in spirit. She will truly be missed.
A graveside service will be held on August 7th at 10 a.m. at the Black Canyon Cemetery located at 4500 Boca St., Shasta Lake City (Central Valley) followed by a Celebration of Life and potluck at the Win River Rancheria.
Much gratitude to Hospice for helping mom and us through this most difficult time.

SWF Rewind- The Wintu Factions Have to Unite in Order to Recieve Federal Acknowledgment?

2010-08-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

(photo changed- new photo- Sampson & Cat, Nom-Ti-Pom Wintu, photo taken at La Moine)

Think about what our families miss out on by continuing to not Unify Twards Recognition. What could we potentially loose if the Wintu leaders fail to unify us?

So here some of us still are. 2008. A long time since the BIA instated the Office of Federal Acknowledgement (OFA) thru federal CFR regulations to review BAR petitions from Tribes claiming to be modern conglomerations of Wintu surviving 1800's genocide and removal to reservations. In 1984, when our petitions were initially announced to Interior, the various Wintu leaders, that that time, Ray Patton for the Central Valley Wintun, Gloria Gomez for the Wintu of Shasta, Ed Grant for the Wintun of Cottonwood and also Ray Patton for the Nor Rel Muk Nation. We thank these honorable Wintu people for their fore site.
This week the BIA/ Asst. Secretary of the Interior published in the Federal Register an unprecedented OFA Notice attempting to supply "Guidance and Direction Regarding Internal Procedures" for OFA personnel review tribal applications. In the Notice, dated May 23, 2008, the Asst. Secretary of the Interior Carl Artman, referenced several issues that are sure to have wide ranging impacts on the several groups seeking acknowledgement currently thru BAR representing the Northern Wintu Tribe. New direction from the Asst. Sect'y Artman that includes what Interior has now termed as, "managing recurring administrative and technical problems in processing petitions for Federal acknowledgment.

In the recent past Interior has come under scrutiny from national tribal leaders and tribal rights watch groups, and the national media, arising concern for tribes, that the current nature of the BAR review process has become overbearing on tribes seeking acknowledgement thru Interior. And that specifically the Interior has violated Trust Responsibilities to hundreds of thousands of American Indians, that are currently members of Non-federally recognised tribes, who's members could be currently be benefiting from federal assets to benefit their welfare, like health, education, and housing, but have been left with-out Trust services in denial and termination of thei Trust responsibility of the Federal Government towards the tribal members. Some tribes like our own Wintu, have been waiting for longer than two decades.

In that time our members have seen our reservation at Toyon closed and our members forcefully removed (1987), another tribe re-acknowledged (Redding Rancheria 1983) in our traditional territory, including members of tribes not from the Shasta Trinity County area, then a casino was built in the Wintu name with millions in revenue sharing to the state of California with no benefit to the Wintu members to this day (Win-River Casino 1990-present), and more recently as a result of inter-tribal disputes the "splintering" of tribal families into separate factions claiming control of the Wintu people as a whole. Yes, unfortunately for the members caught in the middle of tribal leadership disputes where very few get anything of grant monies and everyone else in the tribe is left to guess whats going on... tribal governments without representation for tribal members, or equal rights against tribal governments gone mad, and no legal recourse even as Not for profit organizations as County and State courts have repeatedly referenced Santa Clara v. Martinez where tribal sovereignty trumps the governments rights to interfere in inter-tribal disputes, this all despite California being a PL 280 where the Wintu Tribe resides, delegating authority to the state attorney general, and also despite the State of California declaring authority to excercise Illegal Taxation of California tribal lands thru the Gaming Revenue Agreements forced upon California Tribes by the California Governors Office.
Contradictory leadership from the non-Indians to say the least. More accurately these recent events have proven to be for the Wintu, Double-handed legislation eminent of the Old 1851 Ash Creek Treaty days, where we as Indians have no re-course, no representation.
To the knowledge of Stop Wintu Fraud Editors it is the first time that Interior has officially used the term "splinter" to define in the Federal Register the fracturing of tribal memberships, for various reasons unique to each occasion. A good example of why federal statues rarely fit into real day Tribal issues like the "splintering of the Wintu", the new CFR Notice Recommendations and Direction does nothing to actually assist the tribe in resolution of any type to inter-tribal/ band disputes. Disputes that would be better clarified with the direct assistance and approval of the Interior and Regional Directors working in concert for the tribe to speed conflict resolution and complete applications, and move on to review to reduce back-log of the List of Tribes waiting for recognition which is now over 310 tribes waiting for review decisions.
It has been calculated by this Stop Wintu Fraud editor that of the 310+ tribes waiting for review thru OFA/ BAR, 32% of the tribes listed today in the Register are in some way Duplicate tribes that potentially would benefit by complying with interior's wishes , that in the name of speeding the process, tribes are to both resolve inter-tribal disputes and stop fracturing of tribal groups from single former petitioning groups into rival petitioners that would potentially, to interior create (and are creating) at least some of the back log.
Is the back long caused by tribes? No. Are tribes being forced to suffer "negative determinations" as a result of awry tribal leaders gone astray that no longer think in the tribal general memberships best interests. Here in the Notice today, Interior has gone beyond past mis-statements towards us as trustees, that the splintering of tribal groups should result in the tribe not receiving assistance in the BAR process, nor receive acknowledgement as a result of the splintering Interior has defined today as,

In the more than 29 years that the Department's acknowledgment regulations have
been in effect, the Department has confronted a number of recurring issues in
the administration of the regulations including: the emergence of splinter
groups;... opportunities for streamlining the process
through expedited decisions against acknowledgment and decisions against
acknowledgment on fewer than all seven criteria; the handling of questionable
submissions; and designation of ``inactive'' status.

The idea that Interior is now, in 2008, 26 years into the OFA process, attempting to penalize tribes for excericising the Federal Right to be Self-Determinative of our futures and our right to Self-Governance as American Indians to dissolve and formulate tribal identity as tribal members see fit here has been diminished in interiors attempts to, "opportunities for streamlining the process through expedited decisions against acknowledgment and decisions against acknowledgment." Really whats being said to tribes is if your tribes splits up, we'll use that against you now. Also in the Notice Interior states for its OFA personnel that past "Conflicts within a petitioning group that result in multiple and conflicting claims to leadership hamper the ability of OFA to communicate and conduct its business with the group when OFA cannot identify a single governing body as the point of contact with the group." Here BIA is stating, "hey, if you make it harder on us (your trustor) by splintering into contradictory factions we will use it against you (the potential trustee). In a possible violation of trust relations, and certainly in an attempt to limit the size of tribes acknowledged in the future, and there bye limiting the trust responsibility of the federal government to assets held in the name of our people, without representation as to the resources use historically, therefore is interpreted here to be potentially a undue and illegal termination of trust responsibilities to hundreds of thousands of non-federalised Americans Indians, not just the Wintu.

A note for our pseudo-leaders, Wade, Gene, and Linda. Dis-enrolling people from the tribe was, and never will be the answer to what you cannot accomplish alone. You your self's actually amount to a splinter group when you applied as the Toyon by OUR 1993 deadline. And again when you Malone's wanted remove all the Central Valley people back in 2003. Why was that again, oh yeah, because you don't "like" Gloria Gomez. A real Wintu leader would can the bullshit set your personal differences aside and work for the good of all the Wintu, not just your pitiful family. Perhaps you begin to see that everyone around you when they become involved are forced to see your strangle-hold on the tribal government thru illegal elections every year. You can't have both tribes (Toyon and the Wintu Tribe), tribal members see for themselves the tribal council stop the Wintu meeting and then have the Not for profit meeting separate. Ask questions Wintu members, find out for yourselves why the general members aren't on the not for profit list but they have a separate general council listing for members? And the way they have it currently structured by the careful help of Non-Wintu CILS attorney Mary Risling, and this was only the Curl and Malone descendants will benefit from any monetary revenue from the tribe in the future? Read your Constitution. 33% to constitute a majority? Well from the 91 members base roll that's almost exactly the percentage of the 17 member extended family Curl-Malone Voting Block.

If theirs nothing wrong with the way the tribe is currently being run then why did Caleen Sisk leave the Curl-Malone Board to formulate the Traditional Winnmem? Why did Jill leave the Curl- Malone group? Why did Loretta Root leave the Curl Malone Ground? Why did 350 other Wintu leave to join United Bands after you illegally adopted your likewise illegally drafted Curl-Malone Wintu of Northern California Interim Constitution in 2003 by a vote, to small, to exact it. Ask the Nor-el-muk, the wintu from Trinity County, if they'll have anything to do with the Curl-Malone Board? Why did Gloria Gomez stick with the Central Valley Wintu after your family, in the name of your fraudulent tribe, drag her into court back in 1997-1998? It wasn't because you actually picketed in front of her private residence that year.... ya' think? And why would a single member who regained salmon harvesting rights on his own and fished for 6 years using traditional methods without assistance from the tribe, then be threatened with dis-enrollment after being nominated for Wintu Tribal Council?

Internal conflicts aside, the Wintu- interband disputes of our tribe have been addressed by attorneys representing us (as early as 2001), and now have been addressed by the Department of the Interior, and their position on "splintering" of petitioning groups is clear, if any ambiguity existed before surrounding duplicate petitions doomed for negative determinations, duplicate petitioners will not receive assistance or acknowledgement.

To absolve the Wintu bands is easy, the only obstacle to our rapid progression and eventual recognition is just a lot of power tripping old people that have entertained a false sense of control over the tribal membership for so long that it seem the leaders won't even won't take their finger off the button, and resolve petty differences for the good of the people.

The link to the notice from the Assistant Secretary of the Interior on Current Splinter groups:

Federal Register 5/23/08

Redding Rancheria Tribe Buys More Land, Wintu Tribe Still Homeless

2010-01-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

Redding Rancheria Tribe Buys More Land, Wintu Tribe Still Homeless

By Matt Root- Wintu & Karuk, Redding, Ca 1/24/10

Background- The Redding Rancheria (hereafter RR) exists on 38.89 acres in South Redding, next the Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation Canal (ACID Canal). Established by the Federal Government in 1922, the Redding Rancheria, today has only 127 adult members(following the 2004 Tribal disenrollments of 57 members of the Foreman Family (Pit River), former members of the RR). The RR Tribe Operates Win-River Casino, a Native American Gaming Operation, established in violation of NRGA statutes, out side of the Pit River tribes traditional territory. The Tribe by which a majority of RR members trace their blood lineage.

The Wintu Tribe, following the violent cultural standoff at Toyon Wintu Center, (Formerly know as Government Camp), in 1987, that pitted local homeless Wintu Indians against State Marshall's, the FBI, the Department of the Interior, the BIA and Local Officials and Police/ Sheriffs, Wintu People were removed from their homes, and federal reservation, after a long armed stand-off, remain homeless today, and politically fractured since this unfortunate racially motivated event perpetuated upon the Wintu Members, 23 years ago. Author age 8 years old when Toyon was closed and our homes bulldozed to the ground a week later by D-9 Cats emblazoned with BIA crests.

2 Years later, in 1989, the City of Redding and the State of California, cut a gaming deal with the Redding Rancheria, to establish a gaming operation on their 38 acre Clear Creek Reservation (today's Redding Rancheria). And a minority of out of town Indians rose to power, and the actual Wintu people continue to linger with no federal aid, and no realized promises of "Self-Governance", guaranteed in the 1970's by the Nixon Administration, and still no "Self-Reliance", guaranteed us by state law in 1990.

But the Redding Rancheria continues to grow. In reprehencable defiance of the true Wintu people of this land. Certainly in indifference, and denial of our existence and legal claim to this land. The Wintu Leaders having been the signer's of the 1851 Treaty at Cottonwood Creek, NOT the Pit River, who were party in a separate Treaty a year later in 1852. (see XL Reservation)

So it took former Police Chief Blankenship and the McConnell Foundation (regionalnot for profit grantor supreme, and beneficiary of Redding Rancheria "contributions") to seal the deal on the flat land below the new Redding Rancheria Hilton Hotel next to Interstate 5 at South Bonnyview Road in Redding, Ca. Despite the RR having destroyed Wintu sites in their development, and there being a MOU in place with the City of Redding to protect our history from destruction by development. In denial of the Wintu Tribes existence or legal claim to this land, our Traditional Territory. And in spite of the federal governments ability to recognise us in a timely manner. And after waiting thirty (30) years for a descsision on our petititons for recognition, we continue to linger, many members in squalid conditions throughout the tribes Territory. While the minority of Indians profit, lavishly.

The RR Hilton Hotel which was built in 2004-5, destroyed a massive Wintu archaeological site, a former historical habitation location for the Wintu Tribe. This sites historical locus, included a stratigraphic component revealing where Wintu People were allowed to live, in common, with ranchers of the area around 1870-1890. A rare occurrence in 19th century Shasta County. The site that was destroyed to make way for the Rancheria Tribes Hotel expansion, and the loss is of vast historical significance to the Wintu tribe, and its members today. Several Wintu families trace their lineage to the pre-historic archaeological site, that Anthropologists estimate have hosted some 3-600 permanent Wintu occupants in over 80 aboriginal homes.

The modern political entity of the Wintu Tribe, the actual tribe, in which the federated RR continues to expand and build with-in, today is fractured between 5 differing Non-Federally Recognised Tribes. A legal status that both hinders the fractured groups ability to protect the site. But also hinders the non-recognised tribes ability to represent the interests of the Wintu archaeological site, and the remains of close relatives interred there, to the state of California. Potentially protecting it from the ruthless economic development of the Redding Rancheria. RR having destroyed Wintu sites repeatedly in their quest for economic expansion. And at the high cost of Wintu history, and in disregard for the hundreds of Wintu that live here today, and in mis-use of our identity as Wintu Indians. The RR also claims Wintu Lineage of official BIA documents, the Pit River members being a majority at RR, and the majority members being Pit River Indians by Blood Quantum.

Donald V. Slaughter Sr.

2010-01-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

Donald V. Slaughter Sr. May 8, 1924 - December 27 2009
Life long Shasta County resident, Donald V. Slaughter Sr. passed away peacefully at his home in Anderson on Sunday, December 27, 2009. He was 85 years old. He was born to George T. and Myrtle A. (Fann) Slaughter near Churn Creek in Shasta County on May 8, 1924. He attended school in Anderson and graduated from Anderson High School where he was a distinguished swimmer and baseball player.
Don enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and served his country honorably, along with his older brothers Rudolph and Reginald.
Don was one of the first Eagle Scouts in Shasta County and became an assistant Scout Master as well,
After the service he worked as a laborer, sheet metal worker. He eventually worked for PG&E, Ralph L. Smith Lumber Company, Kimberly-Clark Corp., and Roseburg Lumber. He retired after 38 years in the lumber business. He worked with local V.A. offices ordering and setting grave markers for veterans who did not have them. For others, he designed, constructed and placed cement markers in many cemeteries.
Donald is survived by Frances (Hardin), his wife of 62 years, his daughter Christina V. Yoder (Jay) of Elk Grove, CA, his son Donald V. Slaughter, Jr. of Redding, CA, his beloved grandchildren; Scott, Nicole, Rachael, Daniel and Donald III, and two great grandchildren. He is also survived by his three sisters; Christina A. Slape of Napa, CA, Adeline Jane Bowers of White City, OR and Patricia Buck of Redding, CA.
Viewing will be today Thursday, December 31, 9-5 p.m. Service will be held on Monday, January 4, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. both at Allen & Dahl in Palo Cedro. Internment will be at Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo, at 2:00 p.m.

A reception will be held at the Win River Casino Community Room from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

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

2009-12-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

(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

2009-12-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-27T08:58:00.002-08:00

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..."

2009-11-26T03:40:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-11-14T07:11:00.000-08:00

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?
2009-11-09T15:25:00.000-08:00
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

2009-10-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-09-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-08-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

(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

2009-07-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

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

Gaming in Shasta Territory? The History of One Indian Allotment

2009-05-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

City of Yreka, Siskiyou County, CA

The Alturas Rancheria (of Pit River descent) in 2005 announced plans to build a gaming facility just south of the town of Yreka in Central Siskiyou County in Northern California. The Alturas Rancheria is made up of Pit River Indians and is located about 250 miles to the east of Yreka in the high-desert town of Alturas, located in Modoc County in the extreme North Eastern Corner of the State. Pit River territory is generally accepted to have extended up to the shores of Goose Lake, that straddles the Oregon California border, about 40 miles north of Alturas. The Alturas Rancheria's members represent a small fraction of the larger Pit River Tribe, based in Burney, and operate a separate tribal governing body. The total tribal membership of the Alturas Rancheria is 7 individuals, two of which are non-Indian, being adopted members as business partners. The Alturas Rancheria Members are of the Illmawi Band of Pit River originating in the far upper reaches of that watershed around and east of present day Alturas. The official land base of the tribe today consists of one small parcel of land, known as the Alturas Rancheria, where they already operate a small gaming facility, the Desert Rose Casino. When the tribe signed a gaming compact with the state of California, it included wording that would allow the tribe two (2) gaming facilities. The Desert Rose and an undefined Casino in and undefined location in the future.

The Casino plans were planned placing the gaming facility on an Indian Allotment, individually held federal trust land, namely the Bender Allotment in Siskiyou County, Bender was recorded by the BIA as having been a Shasta Indian. Though some of his descendants are found in the Pit River, Alturas Rancheria, and the Shasta Nation-a non-federally recognised tribe. The Allotment in question is actually held in tribally held trust status for its diverse beneficiaries by the Karuk Tribe (of which the some of the Bender descendants find membership) as it is a federally recognised tribe, allowing lands to be held in trust, the Shasta Nation lacking recognition resulting in a lack of protections towards its allotments currently held in fee status, in common with non-Indians. It is extremely ambiguous that the BIA has upheld the trust status of an allotment for members that are descended from a Indian that had blood from a tribe that is currently a non-recognised tribe by the BIA.

The Shasta Nation is currently under review by BIA (since the 1980's) to recognise its status as a Federal Indian Tribe. BIA's response to this is that persons of Shasta Blood can be found in several area tribes, and the BIA by policy, does not intervene in tribal membership, and internal sovereign issue. (Santa Clara V. Martinez). A situation the Alturas Rancheria contend would allow the Bender Descendants to pursue gaming on the trust land, despite the fact that they are currently members of tribes other than the Shasta Nation, but on an allotment within Shasta Traditional Tribal Territory, prior to the Shasta Nation completing the Review Process outlines in BIA's Office of Federal Acknowledgement. And despite the Bender Descendants being members of a Separate Indian Tribe with entirely different traditional boundaries. Gaming outside of a given tribes traditional territory is not allowed per gaming regulations. (Cite-"reservation shopping" bill introduced to congress)

The Shasta Nation and the Karuk Tribe and the State of California all officially opposed the Alturas Rancheria's plans to Build the Shasta Mountain Casino, without prejudice against the tribe itself, taking issue with the violation of gaming regulations dis-allowing gaming by tribes outside of their traditional territory. Their claims were that the Alturas Rancheria was not allowed to game outside of its traditional territory, on an allotment that originally was held in trust for a Shasta Indian, despite being currently held by the Karuk. The BIA NIGC concurred with the Karuk Tribe and the Non-recognised Shasta Nation's Claims that the Alturas Rancheria should not be allowed gaming outside of their traditional territory, on an allotment that is in trust status under the Karuk Tribe.

The Desert Rose Casino in Alturas, CA operated by the Alturas Rancheria

Winnemem Wintu (WWO) Next Suit

2009-04-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Marc Franco Claims to Be Apache and Claims to Be a Traditional Wintu Headman Despite not posessing Wintu Descent.
The Winnemem Wintu Organization's Lawsuit was launched on 4/19/09, in the legal tort the WWO sue for what they claim is what they lost to the United States Government thruought the historical era. While it is not the scope of this website to fill in the blanks for Caleen Sisk, the Winnemem, their Attourneys, or the Judges that will be handling this very brief case, it is my intention to bring about some truths about the rest of the Wintu People to whom which have an interest in the legal Wintu claims beneath the waters of Lake Shasta, and is not the Winnemem's Trust asset interest alone.

A Winnemem Time Line

- 1880's Baird Reservaion Established and is repeatedly encroached upon by Non-Indians

- 1880's Sporadic Allotments are made for Wintu along the McCloud, Sacramento River, Squaw Creek and Lower Pit Rivers

- 1900 Conchululi Dies. Last Traditional McCloud River Wintu Wi' (Chief)

- 1924 Wintu Poeple Granted American Citizenship

- 1924 Clear Creek Reservation Established (Redding Rancheria- Hardwick v. Interior 1983)

- 1930's Shasta Lake Lands reclaimed, sporadic burials removed to Shasta Lake City, Numerous Wintu Allotments flooded along Pit, Sacramento, McCloud Rivers. Wintu Tribe not re-alloted or compensated for lost lands

- 1971 Wintu Members cccupy fedaral facilty at Toyon, including Wintu families removed from Allotments beneath Lake Shasta

- 1976 BAR Process for Federal recognition begun by BIA, Original Petitioners did not Include the Winnemem as its members were enrolled in the Toyon- Wintu

- 1987 Wintu Members Removed From Toyon Wintu Center

- 1993 Toyon Wintu Tribe (Curl-Malone Board) applies to BIA thru OFA-BAR for Federal Recognition, 6 years after Toyon Standoff *10 years after original four petitioners apply

- 1998 Caleen Sisk and Jill Ward succeed from the Toyon Wintu Tribe (or Northern California) citing votong irregularities, later ending in court. * Gloria Gomes seperates at this time as well citing voting fraud among the Toyon Wintu and other improprieties

- 1999 Caleen Sisk and a non-Indian Marc Franco first claim in the Redding Record Searchlight that there is a Traditional Band of Winnemem and that they are working for Federal recognition as a band Shasta

2000-2009 Sisk- Franco approach various local state and federal agencies concerning state and federal recognition as the WWO Winnemem Wintu Organization, a not for profit.

2000- 2009 Sisk-Franco use the WWO to attempt to steer water rights issues in the Sacramento Valley

- 2002 Winnemem WWO unilateral cultural representation removed from new drafted Curl/ Malone Toyon/ Wintu constitution

- 2003 Sisk Tries for federal recognition as a band of Shasta.

- 2004 Sisk claims 173 members in the Record Searchlight, the same number as the new 2003 Toyon Wintu Roll * Later changed to the currently used Winnemem membership level of 123

- 2004 Flora Curl-Jones (Puiluli-met Last Traditional Doctor of the We-na-mem Wintu Passes) *Callen Sisk assumes Flora's role as Doctor for the tribe steering toward media exsploits of the tribe and occupying Flora's property in Jones Valley, Ca

- 2005 Callen Sisk billed a 4 Day War Dance (Camera Dance) atop Shasta Dam for a new documentary in opposition to the raising of Shasta Dam/Lake.

- 2008 Wintu Tribe Advised by the Asst. Secretary of Interior a Negative Detirmination would be the only result in the Wintu bands failing to unify

- 2008 Winnemem Failed Attepmt at State Recognition AJR-39

- 2009 Current Lawsuit Filed by Sisk/ Franco WWO for Nom ti pom, Puidal Pom, El Pom, Puisus, Wai muk & Wenemem Wintu People's Trust Assets not associated with the WWO

Gomes on Wintu Band Inclusiveness & United Bands Efforts to Rectify Differences

2009-04-10T11:55:00.001-07:00

In Ms. Gomes own words to the Redding Record Searchlight dated August 31st 2008.

Letters to the Editor: Aug. 31, 2008
Wintu must unite for recognition

Yes I read between the lines .

I read your Aug. 20 editorial about the Winnemem vote. Yes, the article was politics in action.

The vote was for state recognition of the Winnemem. What I do know is any Indian tribe in California is already recognized by the state and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The reason Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa and Sen. Sam Aanestad voted against constituents is they know and understand that this group does not represent all of the Winnemem or other bands of Wintu in Shasta and Siskiyou counties. They only want recognition for their 123 Winnemem members that they say "are left" when in fact there are many more than that amount — many more.

The Redding Rancheria is federally recognized as a rancheria and is are inside of our tribal area. The Winnemem want to be a tribal entity inside of our tribal area also. So where do all of the rest of the Wintu belong? What I do know is the federal government will not recognize the Wintu until we are all together as one.

The United Tribe of Northern California Inc. is still working to unite with the other groups so we will have an equal footing for federal recognition for all.

The Wintu are a proud people and have a rich history here in Shasta and Siskiyou counties, and we will pursue and persevere for our people toward our goal of unity and federal recognition.

So maybe now you will understand why Assemblyman LaMalfa and Sen. Aanestad did not vote for the bill for the Winnemem. I am sure it had nothing to do with water; it was a straight tribal issue. The Winnemem went to their vote and they got it. Their allies in the Legislature may be ardent soldiers in California water wars, but the vote was for state recognition not Shasta Dam or any water issues. But, then that's politics.

Gloria Gomes, Chairwoman

United Tribe

of Northern California

Redding

Wintu Tribe of Northern California (Toyon-Wintu) Next To Dis-Enroll Members

2009-04-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

The not for profit organization "Wintu Tribe of Northern California", formerly known as the "Toyon Wintu Tribe" (Center), in June 2008 joined over a dozen other tribes in the state of California that have kicked out there members. Approxamately 18 other tribes in the state of california have reduced there membership rolls since 1998. Onl seven years after lucritive gaming was allowed, passed by initiative in 1990. Other tribes in the area that have reduced there rolls shortly after establishing gaming operations are: the Pit River Tribe, who reduced over a hundred Maidesi (a traditional Pit River band on the lowest courses of the river adjoining the Winnmem Wintu Territory) members; the Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu in Butte county removed approxamately 70 family members, and subsequently split into seperate and rival factions; and the Shasta Nation/ Tribe. Rival factions of the same Shasta Tribal Lineage from Siskiyou County as the Okwanuchu, and New River Shasta (see Saxey Kidd story). However of these examples, only the Shasta Tribe/ Nation remain not Federally Recognised by the Federal Government. Therefore without protections to its citizens and lands thereafter guarenteed, but also not allowed Indian Gaming on trust lands. This begs the question, if a tribe doesn't recieve benefits from the government, nor the right to game, what would the motives for dis-enrollments be?

Wintu History

The Wintu Tribe are a non-federalized tribe residing in Shasta and Trinity (and southern Siskiyou) Counties in Northern California recorded as having resided along three main watercourses just south of Mount Shasta. At the time of contact with European Immigrants (settlers) in the 1840's the tribes population was around 27,000 Wintu. In three short decades, by 1880, our population had been reduced by thievery, enslavement, murder, starvation, diesease, and repeated forced removals to several area reservations (inculding Hoopa Valley, Nome Cult, Round Valley, Ft. Bidwell and others). Wintu members were allotted both individually and collectively throught the territory, but sporadically, leaving service for the BIA difficult and some postulate, in a calculated move, in an effort to deprive the Wintu of land rights to our lands that was so covetted by settlers for its water and gold bearing values.

It was not long however, after a difficult period for the tribe from 1900-1930, as a result of a disruptive change in life patterns and reduced traditional food availability from devastating mining activity in the area, that the tribe was removed entirely from federal service rolls, and the Wintu members land that had been individually allotted and surrounding trust lands over a vast area along the Sacramento, McCloud and Lower Pit River's, were re-aquired by the Federal Government, under a land act to develop what is today known as the Central Valley Project or CVP. Subsequently the tribal members were removed, including this authors family, from beneath the lake and over 46 square miles of land were flooded to create todays Shasta Lake, just north of present day Redding.

The Wintu Tribe remained landless (accept for the families above the high water mark of Lake Shasta, or elsewhere in Trad. terr.) until 1971, when motivated members of the Pit River and Wintu Tribes occupied the former Federal Facilities used by workers in the Constrcution of Shasta Dam decades prior. Utilizing a federal law that allowed for the use of federal facilities for the advancement of Native American Tribes (also how DQ Unv. in Davis was established the same year). The reservation at Toyon Center (Formerly known as Goverment Camp) was short lived however, when in 1987 (authour 8 years old at the time of removal from Toyon) local Non-Indian community members enticed Shasta County Offcials to "shut off the water mains to Toyon", subsequently the County deemed the facility unfit for habitation and ordered the forceful eviction by County Sheriffs, and weeks later our homes were bulldozed to the ground by D-9 cats emblazoned with "Bureau of Indian Affairs" crests.

With the Wintu Tribe in dissaray for the last two decades (1987-2009), at odds with individual tribes right to self determination, the BIA instated the BAR process in 1976. And in 1983-84, four Wintu petitioners began processes of redress agaist the Federal Government for lack of services for over 70 years (original 4 Wintu petitioners). It was not until 1993 that the Curl-Malone faction of the Toyon Wintu were finally able to formally respond to the BIA and certify, by Federal deadline, that the tribe was in fact going to in fact then petition for federal recognition, after the closure of Toyon.

Today the Tribal structure represents the reverberations of these recent historic events. In 1998 Gloria Gomez a Wintu Elder, and signee for Original Petitioner the "Wintun of Shasta" in 1984, left the Toyon Wintu Tribe. Gomez, citing improprieties in the election systems ran by a single family group the Curl-Malone Faction, was forced to defended her position. And this debate ended after a long court battle in Shasta County with Gomez retaining her original status as original petitioner of the "Wintu of Shasta".

In 1998 Caleen Sisk and Jill Ward also left the Toyon Wintu Tribe after a heated debate ended in the formation of the Winnemem Wintu Organization (a not for profit org) as a modern emination of the former traditional Wintu Band hailing from the McCloud River, formerly traditionally led by the late Flora Curl-Jones. Sisk has repeatedly called upon local agencies, and citizens to support her bout for Federal Recognition and denounces future Wintu gaming on her website. Although donations are also solicited there.

The Nor Rel Muk Nation, or Trinity Wintu, were also one of four original petitioners in 1984. The Nor-Rel-Muk, although retaining a common ancestry as the Shasta County Wintu people/ Tribes, the Modern political emination of the Trinity Wintu has chosen to remain auntonomous, and insular to the political issues of the Shasta County Wintu, since before the closure of Toyon. The Nor Rel Muk Nation holds their own elections, operates their own tribal offices, elects their own tribal council, and manages a seperates membership roll that that of the Shasta County bands.

The latest addition to our dishonerable fractionization has been the establishement and formalizing of the new United Bands tribe/ council. Established sometime after the momentous illegal elections at Toyon in 2003, illegal adoption of new Toyon constitution in 2003, and trimming of the Tribal roll in 2001-03 by the Curl- Malone Toyon Wintu, over 200 members of the Wintu Tribe left the Toyon (after huge blocks were removed created fear in the membership) to join the United Bands, bolstering the United Bands Tribal Roll to over 350 individuals. Compared to the miniscule 91 members that the Curl-Malone family "allowed" onto the new roll prepared by themselves in 2003. Today (4/10/09) on their website, the Toyon Tribe Claims over 400 members.

Talk began of the formulation of a consoladated Wintu Tribe encompassing all bands in 2003 (and much longer before by individual members) at a United Bands council meeting in March. And appears on their minutes. Hence the name "United Bands". The United Bands attourney Gorton-Moore & assoc. (former cold war USSR consultant) adamantly stated that within 4 years (2007 deadline) the United Bands would have recognition and that the "next day he was going to meet with Caleen Sisk and the Winnemem about consolodation of the bands", and later stated, "he had already spoken with the Curl-Malone" led faction of the Toyon Wintu and that the Legal team was making progress in the area of resolution. However as of April 2009, no action has been taken on concolodation of the Wintu Bands, either at the direction of Gorton & Moore (external to the tribe), or origination from a tribal member (internal to the tribe).

However the recent disenrollments and their effects of disinfranchisement and denial of inclusion to community on these non-federalized Wintu Indian people is ongoing. And should not be the way the current leaders represent the legacy of the Wintu Tribe to all.

It really is beyond me why anyone at the Curl- Malone Toyon Tribe would want to kick anyone out of the tribe, as they havn't been able to accomplish anything for the people aside from lining their own pockets for the last 20 years or so, and could use all the help and knowlege they can get. Accept that fear, misunderstandings, personal views and self image, greed and jealousy, have come in the way of what the Wintu leaders today should be doing to help the entire Wintu Membership, not small parties of questionable members looking for grant handouts in the name of all Wintu, that actually end up effecting very few, and are administered by the most incapable and dishonest among us.

Linda Malone, ask your self one question, "is this the legacy I want to leave for my family in the future." People know.

Last Word-

Disenrolling members is wrong. It strikes at the heart of the community. Not all disenrollments are for money and greed of millions of dollars. Some as we have seen here are personal attacks upon individuals both culturally and mentally and physically as well as legally. If the disenrolled ever find support enough to make it that far. This is why this website exists and the authours are not surprised at the continued vengeful actions perpetuated on the membership by the Curl- Malone family groups continued control of the Toyon Tribal Council. Hang in there members, this will not stand much longer.

Redding Rancheria Health Clinic

2009-01-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

(photo) Redding Rancheria Health Clinic located in Redding, Ca.

Originally started by the late Redding Rancheria Chairman Bob Foreman (matriarch of the now disenrolled Forman family) at the former facilities located in Anderson, Ca, and intended for all Native Americans within its service area, the Redding Rancheria has seen economic development not only rip-apart the local native communities with its rapid "mafia style" gaming operation at Win- River Casino, but the mis-use of the federal IHS facility in Redding, Ca.

In 2003 the Redding Rancheria Tribal Council and its enrollment committee members and later its lawyers and tribal court, chose to Dis-enroll, and to uphold in their Court, the disenrollment, of 57 members of the Foreman family (Pit River) from the Redding Rancheria Tribe. This act of the Foreman Families civil rights charicterises the way in which the Redding Rancheria Tribe and Tribal Council today continues to operate the facility located on Churn Creek Road in Enterprise, Ca, in Wintu territory. In the last couple years several times the Redding Rancheria Health Clinic with direction from the RR Tribal Council has reduced both the size of the members serviced at the health facility, and the services offered have been reduced.

Despite a Win River Casino $90 Million dollar expansion currently slated for the Gaming Facility at the Redding Rancheria, which is wrongly named, Win-River Casino, whereas no actual monetary assets from this gaming facility are being used to benefit the larger Wintu people/ Tribe(s). Despite the Wintu Tribe having a larger population, at some 650 non-federalized Indians in two northern California Counties and are also denied non-gaming distributions to tribes guaranteed by state law passed in 1990. The RR Health Clinic and the RR Tribe have come up with some clever ways in which to deny local Indians health service and to reduce the number of Local Indians especially, that are on their service rolls.

In 2006, members of the IHS facility at RR were sent letter notification that they must be seen at the facility at least once a year. After that in 2007 were sent notification that the switch to CHS had required local Indians to be seen at the facility in 6 month intervals. The remedy of breaching the new requirements which, was not to schedule patients on their new scale. But to remove those members that did not meet the criteria from service lists, and the computer databases there. A possible breech of Legal Requirements for Health Facilities "Ditching" patients health records without notice. And a possible violation of CFR statutes to Heath Services for Native Americans.

The RR Health Clinic had 3479 registered Indian patients in 2007.

While the local native population by the 2000 census in over 8000. Just for Shasta County and not the extended service are of the RR Health Clinic that included eastern Trinity County as well.

Terrifying Tracy Edwards the legal master-mind behind the Redding Rancheria Constitution Amendments and the fourth coming disenrollments, says here on the RR health clinic web-site, of her "commitment to protect... the rights of Indian People" :

"One of the greatest honors in my life is having served as the Chairperson to the Redding Rancheria for 4 years. It has made me a stronger person, but more importantly, it has reinforced in me the importance of our Tribal government and the people that we serve. It has impressed upon me that the decisions the Tribal Council makes have very strong implications for not only the Tribal members today, but the Tribal members 7 generations from now. The Redding Rancheria Tribal Government is committed to protecting Tribal laws & the rights of Indian people."

Tracy Edwards, Tribal CEO.

I guess after never being raised on the RR or ever living on the Redding Rancheria or around any of your supposed "Indian community", Carol Goldberg, your legal surrogate, never taught Terrifying Tracy Edwards at UCLA School of Law what exactly constituted a Civil Rights Violation, or much of anything about the implications of the ICRA of 1968!

"I believe that we can't be whole without knowing who we are as Indian people. Many of us have lost our Native languages, but we still move forward and practice the spirituality that we know. All the medicine in the world can't make you healthy if your spirit isn't whole."
Barbara Murphy, Tribal Chairperson.

Well Barb. Your heiress, you should know all about not feeling whole spiritually. You all down at Rancheria never had any spirituality as a homeless group of out of town Indians created by the Federal Government in 1922. Your Not Wintu! And now you try with your fellon brother James Hayward (Pit River- enrolled at Redding Rancheria) following Mickey (who was enrolled pit river by the way) practicing your "gaming religion" in Wintu territory, and trying to get all spiritual. HA! Yur millionaires and all your hollow culture down at Rancheria will ever be is and was an afterthought to the lies you perpetuate in the Redding Community about the Wintu people and the Actual Indian Community, something Bob Foreman was able to over come and do things for everyone, but clearly you do not. Including at the clinic. Why is that? Oh that's right, because you and Tracy were NEVER a PART OF THE INDIAN COMMUNITY HERE! Go Back to BRITISH COLUMBIA!

Salmon Harvesting for the El Pom Keswick Rancheria

2008-12-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

Salmon harvesting for Wintu members of the El Pom Keswick Rancheria completed its sixth year on October 31, 2008. Began in 1998 to foster Wintu Traditional Arts in Shasta County, the El Pom Keswick Rancheria has gone on to establish land use rights, right to access, fishing rights for 3 seperate Wintu tribes, secured housing funding, and worked with several state and federal agencies in processes to exspand and assist the Wintu people, as well as the initially intended fostering of Wintu Traditional Arts.

"Eighteen members in attendance shows the Wintu peoples willingness to be involved in the re-invigoration of our past culture, after being disavowed and made a crime by non-Indian people."

Began in 2001, when a single Wintu Tribal Memeber Matt Root (Wintu - Karuk) petitioned the State of California for traditinal salmon harvesting rights in the areas where his ancestors fished for literally centuries. Unanimously approved by Sacramento Legislators on October 26, 2002, 2008 marked the sixth year this event has represented the Wintu peoples shift back to traditional lifeways that are in harmony within the Sacramento River ecosystem. Executive Director of the El Pom Keswick Rancheria, Matt Root, reported today, that 18 Wintu Tribal Members from all 5 Bands of Modern Political Wintu Entities were in attendence this year despite rain, and a shortened season. Root spoke to the members in attendance, "Eighteen members in attendance shows the Wintu peoples willingness to be involved in the re-invigoration of our past culture, after being disavowed and made a crime by non-Indian people."

The Salmon Harvesting has been entirely funded by a single Wintu family, and has hosted a free salmon dinner during the harvesting in the community of Keswick, Ca since its inception. In 2004 the Executive Director went on to petition the State of California again, this time on behalf of the Nor Rel Muk Nation, a Wintu band hailing from Trinity County, just to the west of the Shasta County Wintu Traditional Territory. The Nor Rel Muk proposal was also approved unanimously. Not finished there Mr. Root has gone on to petition the state on behalf of several other Wintun Tribes to the south in the Sacramento Valley, as was originally his goal, to return all of the Wintun Tribes to the river, to practice our culture, bring it back into thge lives of our people, and with the eventual result of Uniting the Wintu Factions for the future stregnth of all Wintu and Wintun peoples.

If you are interested in more information, or to voluteer for this event in 2009 contact the El Pom Keswick Rancheria at elpom@sbcglobal.net. Wintu Traditional Salmon Harvesting will occour on the Sacramento River at Redding begining in mid-August and Runs until Mid-November 2009. And the tentative date for the Free Salmon Dinner at the El Pom Keswick Rancheria is set for September 25, 26, 27, 2009.

Other Nor Cal Tribes Have Incorperated Traditional Tribal Band Guidelines Into Their Constitutions and Elections Ordinaces?

2008-10-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Question? Have other tribes in the Northern California regional area sucessfully introduced traditional tribal structure into their Tribal Constitution's and Election Ordiance's? Let's take a closer look.

The Klamath Tribes, following decades of depridations, military forays, massacres, and diesease introduced and committed against the Klamath, Modoc, and Paiute by Euro-American settlers pouring into Southern Oregon and Northern California, were forced to cede 23 million acres of their traditional tribal territory by Treaty in 1864. At the time Native Poeple all over Northern California were being force-herded, or killed indiscriminately, for resistance to be volutarily removed to a series of Military Reservations strategically located througout select sections of the North State. Reservations, some of which still exist to this day, that were established for the sole purpose of removing the Indian People from the land at large to more easily open the land for Homesteading, Timber Develoment, and Mineral Extraction. Not that all tribes here were much of a actual threat to thousands of non-indians, in those days it was one one white life, for a series of brutal massacres of women children, and the elderly, whereas any native male was already long gone or in hiding. The villages survivors were then promptly removed to the nearest reservation, chained, tied, and often whipped, force marched over mountains, thru rivers, stored in corrals at night, fed in troughs. Killed for escaping, killed for not keeping-up. This is the kind of history the white people of northern california left us. I do not wonder why our elders do not like to refer to that time.

The Klamath Tribe were forced onto their reservation in their traditional tribal land on Upper Klamath Lake with other tribes with which they did not particulary have kind relations, plexed when forced onto a small piece of land under these conditions, by white intruders. The situation grew into the most famous mititary skirmish on the west coast. The Modoc's flight to the Lava Beds, to escape the removal to the reservation, to esacpe acculturation, to escape the abuse, to return to their land at Lost River. And for their escape in 1871-1872, they were removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and members were not allowed to return home to Oregon until 1905. The Modoc are the only tribe from California to suffer this fate at the hands of Congress and the Department of the Interior.

Today, the Klamath Tribes operate a governing body of their tribe as outlines in their tribal constitution. A tribal council elected by a general membership is the norm for tribes around, but that they exist on a federalzed reservation as a recognised tribe descended from a diverse lineage or Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin band of Paiute on the same land, in the same tribe, governed by a single tribal body of all members descended from people removed to the reservation, are collectively running and operating the modern "Klamath Tribes", while still recognising the members diverse lineage.

What can the Wintu learn from this? Did the Curl's write tradition into the Toyon Constitution? Do they posess the knowlege to do so? Does the United Bands do much to recognise Wintu Bands? Wintu, Wintun, and Wintoo and european spellings of the pronuciation as heard by white ears. Not the real Wintu band names, they obviously, don't know. Does anyone know? Probably not, unless you are descended from someone who was recorded as being somewhere at some point on the record, or your family actually passed down thru oral tradition where your family is from, most members probably not know what village or band they are actuually from. The truth is the BIA never recorded Wintu bands on the cencuses. One good reason to be involved in your culture and not leave it up to a panel of people that you don't know, that don't know you, and don't care about your welfare.

The Estom- Yumeka Maidu at Enterprise Rancheria are a tribe also created by the federal government. Again the Maidu, after decades of famine, dieseases, failed forced relocations to reservations, indiscriminate massacres, and land theft, were left landless after their reservations, exaclty like our own Wintu Reservation at Ash Creek, was guarenteed by BIA Indian Agent O.M. Wozencraft in 1851. In the Winter of 1851-52 however, back in Washington D.C. congress voted to not ratify/ adopt the 18 treaties signed with the Tribes of California that year, and were promtly deny these lands and foreced onto a poorly set up, and scandolously operated, series of Military Reservations thru California. The Maidu were forced marched in a infamous march from Chico, at Bidwell's Homestead, from their land guarenteed by the treaty three years before, 170 miles over the coast range to the Reservation at Round Valley (Covelo). This removal is commemorated annually by the Maidu and Round Valley Tribes in Northern California every year in the Fall. When the legislators finally wanted to do somthing for landless tribes of California that had not been removed, and that had not been allotted, or lost their allotted lands as a result of doublehanded federal legilsation taxing the land after the first 20 years, in 1915 were granted a piece of land in between the middle and north forks of the Feather River in Butte County as a Rancheria for thiese bands of Maidu. Today they operate a tribal government for the bands of their traditional territory, and they remain auntonomous from the other recognised and non-recognised bands of Maidu. A federaly recognised tribe existing apart from the other bands, yet retaining their traditional connectivity.

Points for the Wintu. Caleen can be the Winnemem if she wants to. The Nor-Rel-Muk can be the Nor-Rel-Muk, and the tribe will still get no-where beacause BIA has already advised us we have to unite, and these two bands come no-where near being all-inclusive of the many Wintu members. And still many more remain not formally enrolled in any of the modern not-for-profits claiming to be the Wintu Tribe. We Wintu people cannot allow this to occour.

The Yurok Tribe, recognised thru the BAR/OFA process following the landfall Hoopa Yurok Settlement Act in 1988, exist and operate a tribal governing body on their large reservation along the Klamath River in Northwestern California. They adopted a gocerning document, a tribal constitution, at the time of recognition and it was immediately approved by the Secretary of the Interior. In their election ordinances is outlined the traditional Yurok Tribal tribal band areas. They chose to incorporate these ideals into the contemporary poltitical document and have seen a high rate of success with this voting structure. Wietchpec, Pekwan, Requa, Ner-er'ner; all traditional village groupings; and the outlying areas, are compiled in the ordinances and tribal members run to be district representatives from each district.

Nom-ti-pom? Wenamem? Puidalpom? Ehl'pom? Daunom? Who runs where? Do you know where your family is from? Maybe you should ask your grandma? The metamorphasis of our tribal government is clear, this is not my idea, it is who we have always been. People please quit dragging your feet. I cannot wait, our children cannot wait. Our Wintu community together should not be forced to wait any longer for unity and for recognition. Forced to wait by those that do not possess the power, traditinal understanding, authority, personal intelligence, or moral fortitude to accomplish what must be done to help our people grow and return to our place in the Northern California Indian community. It has been far too long.

Making the Case for Band Autonomy

2008-09-28T05:22:00.000-07:00

Members of the Enterprise Rancheria (Maidu) Protest Disenrollment in Sacramento Feb. 2004

Making the case for band autonomy. There are several other tribes in Northern California with varied histories of both long recognition and not recognised as well as recently recognised. These modern tribal groups formulate tribal rolls, establish councils, and operate buisness entities acting as individial bands of a larger tribal group. Tribal groups are related pre-historic peoples that share a linguistic stock, and both recent or historic fracturing of tribal memberships into "bands" or modern eminations of more traditional tribal linguistic groups have occoured in California. This relatively new caveat of federal Indian Policy has seen pre-historic tribal bands or "tribelets" morphing into Traditional Bands, and the actions have created some backlash for both the tribes and the Federal Government thru which the Bureau of Indian Affairs has oversite over the tribal governments.

Examples abound. The Enterprise Rancheria split into rival factions after poltical diputes boiled. The Pit River Tribe remains 11 auntounomous bands and their Tribal Constitution and their election ordiances and election districts reflect that traditional ideal, by following traditional tribal guidlines. The Shasta Tribe of Siskiyou County split into rival petitioners thru BIA's OFA process for recognition, when they would be better off together. The Pomo of Mendocino Lake and Glenn Counties still remain federally recognised as seperate Pomo entities while still retaining their band auntonomy on over 18 seperate Rancheria's. The Yurok Tribal membership is spread. between 4 different rancheria's in addition to their reservation. And their tribal elections also reflect traditional band boundaries for voting districts. It seems important for other tribes to utilize tradition in a tribes political structure to assure integrity and well being in the membership. And it promotes understanding in our traditional structure, somthing many Wintu yurn for, including people like the Curl-Malone Board Members, that have no tradition in their lives, and as a result to this lack, react violently to others and abuse their own family. Only thru aknowlegement of our traditional Wintu past and understanding of it, will any of the Wintu grow in the future and become closer to who we really are, not what the government wants us to be.

What's a tribal linguistic group? You ask. Yes, most California tribes are loosely termed in related language families (California Language Geograpy Map), groups like Hokan, which encompass all the Pomo, Karuk, and Chimariko people. By classing linguistic "stocks", scientists, or better, linguists, can group tribes by related languages that have been proven thru research to be related. In theory. I use the term loosely as linguistic morphology is a relatively new field and a few languages need classing still like Wappo, and Yuki, and some may be re-classed in future studies, like Chimariko or New River Shasta/ Pit River. Because much of linguistic study is based on conjecture and scientific hypothesis they are relatively educated guesses. And still yet, some of these groups have yet to form any kind of tribal governace to protect their people at all. So where does that leave a Penutian speaking group like the Wintu?

Penutian, the language family by which Yokut, Wintun, and Maidu are found (among others like Coastonoan, Miwok, Salinian, and Ohlone) was classes first by Jeremiah Curtian around 1860. He was the most eminant linguistic of his day. California Tribes rarely existed prehistorically as a large "tribe" as a grouping, as we are lead to belive by the modern media's idea of the "American Indian" nomadic plainsmen on horseback mythos. The Wintu in particular existed in 9 seperate entities or "Bands" and it was only after horrific massacres and famine, dieseases, indentureship, and removal to reservations, that these ties were fractured in the 1800's. But not entirely. The Wintu bands as the existed at the time of contact with Euro-American settlers were:

Wintu Bands Map

1. El-Pom 2. Kla-bl-pom 3. Pui-dal-pom 4. Nor-Muk 5. Nom-sus 6. Dau-nom 7. Nom-ti-pom 8. We-na-mem 9. Wai-muk/ Puisus

Only the Nor-Rel-Muk and We-na-mem exist today as modern political morphs of tradtitional Wintu band units. The Toyon Tribe (Wintu of Northern California) are a historical tribe, and do not reresent the pre-historical entity, our our ancestral rights, The Toyon Wintu Tribe was established when Toyon, the facility, was occupied in 1971, and recognised by the federal governement from 1971 until today. The United Bands by its own name beguiles the idea that the tribe is somehow a united group of the Wintu bands, an impossibility as the members are spread between 6 modern tribes. But it also is deceptive as to its membership being all inclusive, which it is not. Another problem with the modern We-na-mem tribal membership, not all the members know who they are or what villages they come from or are of a mixed ancestry as the tribe receeded to the safety of the McCloud River after 1850 to retreat from the onset of murderous miners and settlers.

The pre-historic link of band to modern tribal entitiy is merely half the story of cultural revitalization and cultural renewal and is seperate from the NECESSITY of a given tribal membership to fracture. Illegal elections? Power hungry families that only think for themselves and abuse others? Decades with no action on our petitions for recognition? Strong-arming elders? Violations of federal laws like the Brown Act, and Free Speech? Violations of Civil Rights to Equal Protection? These kinds of unfortuante occourances are what has lead up-to and continues to plauge all of indian country, not just the Wintu Tribes.

Caleen left to formulate the We-na-mem to fill the void for spirituality and truth thru band acknowlgement that the Curl- and Malone Families cannot offer their members. The United Bands was created when the members became the majority and after being abused and having their rights violated by the Curl's and Malone's they broke away and formulated one of the most sucessful Wintu Factions. The El-Pom Keswick Rancheria was created in 1998 when simple Welfare, Housing and Cultural Issues simply were not being addressed by the Toyon/Wintu, Curl-Malone Board, and for the fear that surrounds all tribal members when dis-honest people are allowed to remain in control. Abuses nescessitaed the fracturing of the Wintu Tribe. And for Recognition the Federal Government Nescecitates that we re-unite.

It seems that the simple metamorphasis that is occouring is for the Wintu Bands that are still alive today, that still have their ways, that still know who they are, that still care for there places. To formulate. Because there are still hundreds of members out there that have no connectivity, no culture. And if any tribal council wishes to operate for the tribe, they ought to begin by acting like it.

One Wintu Faction the "United Bands" Holds its First Elections

2008-08-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

Toyon Wintu Center in 1931

August 1st, 2008 Redding, Ca- The United Bands, one of the several not-for profit organizations in the Shasta County area claiming to represent the Wintu Tribal Membership, has held its first annual election, by popular vote, in accordance with the groups drafted constitution. Formulated in 1984 as the Wintu of Shasta, Gloria Gomez (Wintu) has headed this not-for profit group since its inception. It is the modern emanation of one of the original four Wintu Tribal Petitioners that applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to navigate the federal governments BAR (now referred to as OFA) process by which tribes may petition the Department of the Interior for federal acknowledgement.

The Wintu as a whole, occupy one of the most ambiguous tribal histories of any of the California Tribes that suffered genocide and annihilation thru forced removals and relocation's to area reservations, and not-ratification of the 1851 Ash Creek Treaty that subsequently left our people without a federalized land base and the protections of Indian populations and cultures that were afforded other area tribes thru the historical era like Hoopa Valley and Round Valley. Following non-ratification of the Ash Creek Treaty in 1852 it was approximately 30 years before Congress acted to allocate any land to individual Indians, let alone the forgotten Indians of California. In the 1880's the Dawes Act Provided for individual families to receive tracts of land in common with European Immigrats that had been "settling" our Wintu lands thru the Homestead Act for the same 30 year period. The same period that saw our people removed and driven from the land scape or out right killed by the same euro-americans that still control our freedom, and our land.

The reasons given for the lack of recognition for the entire Wintu people thru the recent historical era include lack of federal oversite, limited displacement of federal officials resposible for our welfare, and a willingess by local and regional elected representatives to allow our tribe to remain landless, and therebye without a community since the Gold Rush era. Failed federal policies to assist California Indians in the past have failed entirely to bring assistance, or economic development to our sizeable Wintu Community here in Shasta County. Leaving us landless Indians, in our own land.

It was in 1971 that motivated Wintu Indians occupied the federal facilities at Government Camp, later named "Toyon", under federal laws passed in the 1970's that allowed for the Native American use of un-used federal facilities, like the homes and hall at Toyon. Toyon (the land) was never deeded to the Wintu Tribe, and since its closure in 1987, the tribe has only enjoyed "day use" of the area by BIA mandate. Landless still.

In the intereveneing time period (1971-1987), congress and Interior moved to finally address the welfare of California Indians specifically as a result of federal congressional inquests on California Reservations and Rancheria specifically had revealed a severe lack and inequal displacement of federal assistance on California Trust lands was severly in-adequate and that the California Indians on them were living in "squalid" conditions (U.S. Senate Hearing 1974). These congressional testimonies in the 1970's are what lead to the BIA establishing the BAR process of federal acknowlegement in 1978. A process by which tribes that have historically been terminated (the Wintu were never terminated in the 1940-50's) or Tribes that had their reservations allotted (resulting in huge land losses on many reservations in the western united states not simply California) and stripped of Native Citizenship under the Wheeler-Howard Acts policies of assimilation, to re-gain recogntion and realize the federal policies of "Self-determination" and "Self-regulation" that were so popular in the 1970's under the Nixon Administration.

30 plus years later our people have yet to realize any sense of community, or actual self-determinitive or self-regulatory freedom, or assistance from the Interior or BIA. In fact the Interior officials have gone deep into waters where we are hampered in our efforts to realize freedoms guarenteed by federal law over 30 years ago. And deny our future identity as Wintu Indians. The same four Original Wintu Petitioners still remain on the Interior Secretaries List of Non-Recognised Tribes attempting to navigate the labrynth of federal recognition.

Let us hope that Gloria Gomez and the new United Bands council will work towards the good of all the Wintu people and not just select factions. Stop Wintu Fraud wishes the New United Bands Council luck in the coming year as they attempt to continue to formulate a tribal membership of Wintu Descendants, and petition the government for acknowlegement.

2008 Wintu Elections

2008-06-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Wintu Tribal Council Elections are here.

Are you wondering why the elders names you were hoping to be on your election ballot are not there? Do you wonder why the people on the ballot your grandmother tells you are all related in some way? Do you wonder why its the same names over and over running for the Toyon Wintu tribal council? Do you know any one that wasn't allowed into the Toyon Tribe in 2003? Have you recently revoked your own membership from the "Curl-Malone" led "Toyon/ Wintu Group" in the hopes that joining the United Bands with Val Bowsher would give it's Wintu members an honest election, finally after about 15 years ol illeagl Curl-Malone elections over at Toyon? United Bands are holding their first elections, and the Curl- Malone Faction is also holding their annual farse of an election currently.

In 2007, there were 12 seats for the Toyon Board, and only 14 candidates. 11 of which were direct Curl Descendants putting them at a mathmatically guarenteed position of at least controlling over next year, the votes of the Curl Malone "Toyon" tribal council. Controls that assure their control over the future stewardship of the land at Toyon, while leaving the members without recourse or effective oversite of the Curl-Malone Boards actions.

This Stop Wintu Fraud editor personally has voted for 3 persons in 2006 and 2 persons in 2007 in stead of the stipulated 12 on the ballott. The other persons appearing on the ballot are the indiviuals responsible for attepts at violations of Wintu member rights. As the members responsible for violating the members rights, these Curl-Malone descendants are perpetually on the ballot and it is their varied extended family by which they switch, in a calculated fashon long before the elections, as to whom will be on the board. These illegal activities, along with the violations of members rights enforced by the current council members cupled with the election committee members willingness to violate Wintu peoples rights, have all contributed to the fact that many many, and an ever increasing ammount of Wintu people are becoming exsposed to the illegal and unjust actions that are trying to be passed over on the Wintu members by the Curl-Malone Toyon board.

Sound illegal? It is. Even for a not for profit organization. But theye've gotten away with it at least since 2002 when the Curl Malone Board, headed by familiy matriarch Linda Malone, where after learning of the plans at drafting controls with CILS attourneys into the Toyon Constitution, that would also mathmatically hand the "Curl-Malone Family Voting Block" power over general membership votes, also in the future.

It was enough at that time (2003) for over 350 Wintu Persons trying to enroll in the Curl Malone Toyon "tribe", to revoke their enrollment and join United Bands and bolstered their roll, more than quadrupling it in one year to more that 400 Wintu persons. The United Bands are holding their elections right now under booming thunderstorms in the skies over Redding. Messages from our ancestors?

I hope that the elections official choose to illegally use the Women League of Voters identity, without their official approval, will reconsider their illeagl actions and that are currently perpetuating fraud against the Wintu membership.

Wintu members want an honest board to represent the Wintu Tribe, a board coonposed of a COMPLETE cross section of the ENTIRE tribe. And of honest members that will represnt the majorities best interests, not just single family groups, like what happened at Redding Rancheria! Not just split factions with small groups of members. We as Wintu members, no longer want to be de-frauded by seperate factions claiming to represnt the Tribe, while displaying personal traits that are not condusive to an effective Wintu leader. Wintu leaders that continue to hinder the needs of the many Wintu, for the insignifigant needs of the un-just few. And that play power games in an effort to emulate the realistically insignifigant power plays seen by the Curl Malone Toyon board.

The Wintu Factions Have to Unite in Order to Recieve Federal Acknowledgment?

2008-05-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

(photo- previous image removed) Dado Ceremony, Along with Mole, Loli, Hesi, Sede, Boli Accounted for the Pre-Historic Northern Wintu Dance Cycle. Our Tribe named the Big Head- Bohem Peyek Tchono- ta. Literally, "Big- Head- Dance".

Think about what our families miss out on by continuing to not Unify Twards Recognition. What could we potentially loose if the Wintu leaders fail to unify us?

So here some of us still are. 2008. A long time since the BIA instated the Office of Federal Acknowledgement (OFA) thru federal CFR regulations to review BAR petitions from Tribes claiming to be modern conglomerations of Wintu surviving 1800's genocide and removal to reservations. In 1984, when our petitions were initially announced to Interior, the various Wintu leaders, that that time, Ray Patton for the Central Valley Wintun, Gloria Gomez for the Wintu of Shasta, Ed Grant for the Wintun of Cottonwood and also Ray Patton for the Nor Rel Muk Nation. We thank these honorable Wintu people for their fore site.

This week the BIA/ Asst. Secretary of the Interior published in the Federal Register an unprecedented OFA Notice attempting to supply "Guidance and Direction Regarding Internal Procedures" for OFA personnel review tribal applications. In the Notice, dated May 23, 2008, the Asst. Secretary of the Interior Carl Artman, referenced several issues that are sure to have wide ranging impacts on the several groups seeking acknowledgement currently thru BAR representing the Northern Wintu Tribe. New direction from the Asst. Sect'y Artman that includes what Interior has now termed as, "managing recurring administrative and technical problems in processing petitions for Federal acknowledgment.

In the recent past Interior has come under scrutiny from national tribal leaders and tribal rights watch groups, and the national media, arising concern for tribes, that the current nature of the BAR review process has become overbearing on tribes seeking acknowledgement thru Interior. And that specifically the Interior has violated Trust Responsibilities to hundreds of thousands of American Indians, that are currently members of Non-federally recognised tribes, who's members could be currently be benefiting from federal assets to benefit their welfare, like health, education, and housing, but have been left with-out Trust services in denial and termination of thei Trust responsibility of the Federal Government towards the tribal members. Some tribes like our own Wintu, have been waiting for longer than two decades.

In that time our members have seen our reservation at Toyon closed and our members forcefully removed (1987), another tribe re-acknowledged (Redding Rancheria 1983) in our traditional territory, including members of tribes not from the Shasta Trinity County area, then a casino was built in the Wintu name with millions in revenue sharing to the state of California with no benefit to the Wintu members to this day (Win-River Casino 1990-present), and more recently as a result of inter-tribal disputes the "splintering" of tribal families into separate factions claiming control of the Wintu people as a whole. Yes, unfortunately for the members caught in the middle of tribal leadership disputes where very few get anything of grant monies and everyone else in the tribe is left to guess whats going on... tribal governments without representation for tribal members, or equal rights against tribal governments gone mad, and no legal recourse even as Not for profit organizations as County and State courts have repeatedly referenced Santa Clara v. Martinez where tribal sovereignty trumps the governments rights to interfere in inter-tribal disputes, this all despite California being a PL 280 where the Wintu Tribe resides, delegating authority to the state attorney general, and also despite the State of California declaring authority to excercise Illegal Taxation of California tribal lands thru the Gaming Revenue Agreements forced upon California Tribes by the California Governors Office.

Contradictory leadership from the non-Indians to say the least. More accurately these recent events have proven to be for the Wintu, Double-handed legislation eminent of the Old 1851 Ash Creek Treaty days, where we as Indians have no re-course, no representation.

To the knowledge of Stop Wintu Fraud Editors it is the first time that Interior has officially used the term "splinter" to define in the Federal Register the fracturing of tribal memberships, for various reasons unique to each occasion. A good example of why federal statues rarely fit into real day Tribal issues like the "splintering of the Wintu", the new CFR Notice Recommendations and Direction does nothing to actually assist the tribe in resolution of any type to inter-tribal/ band disputes. Disputes that would be better clarified with the direct assistance and approval of the Interior and Regional Directors working in concert for the tribe to speed conflict resolution and complete applications, and move on to review to reduce back-log of the List of Tribes waiting for recognition which is now over 310 tribes waiting for review decisions.

It has been calculated by this Stop Wintu Fraud editor that of the 310+ tribes waiting for review thru OFA/ BAR, 32% of the tribes listed today in the Register are in some way Duplicate tribes that potentially would benefit by complying with interior's wishes , that in the name of speeding the process, tribes are to both resolve inter-tribal disputes and stop fracturing of tribal groups from single former petitioning groups into rival petitioners that would potentially, to interior create (and are creating) at least some of the back log.

Is the back long caused by tribes? No. Are tribes being forced to suffer "negative determinations" as a result of awry tribal leaders gone astray that no longer think in the tribal general memberships best interests. Here in the Notice today, Interior has gone beyond past mis-statements towards us as trustees, that the splintering of tribal groups should result in the tribe not receiving assistance in the BAR process, nor receive acknowledgement as a result of the splintering Interior has defined today as,

In the more than 29 years that the Department's acknowledgment regulations have
been in effect, the Department has confronted a number of recurring issues in
the administration of the regulations including: the emergence of splinter
groups;... opportunities for streamlining the process
through expedited decisions against acknowledgment and decisions against
acknowledgment on fewer than all seven criteria; the handling of questionable
submissions; and designation of ``inactive'' status.

The idea that Interior is now, in 2008, 26 years into the OFA process, attempting to penalize tribes for excericising the Federal Right to be Self-Determinative of our futures and our right to Self-Governance as American Indians to dissolve and formulate tribal identity as tribal members see fit here has been diminished in interiors attempts to, "opportunities for streamlining the process through expedited decisions against acknowledgment and decisions against acknowledgment." Really whats being said to tribes is if your tribes splits up, we'll use that against you now. Also in the Notice Interior states for its OFA personnel that past "Conflicts within a petitioning group that result in multiple and conflicting claims to leadership hamper the ability of OFA to communicate and conduct its business with the group when OFA cannot identify a single governing body as the point of contact with the group." Here BIA is stating, "hey, if you make it harder on us (your trustor) by splintering into contradictory factions we will use it against you (the potential trustee). In a possible violation of trust relations, and certainly in an attempt to limit the size of tribes acknowledged in the future, and there bye limiting the trust responsibility of the federal government to assets held in the name of our people, without representation as to the resources use historically, therefore is interpreted here to be potentially a undue and illegal termination of trust responsibilities to hundreds of thousands of non-federalised Americans Indians, not just the Wintu.

A note for our pseudo-leaders, Wade, Gene, and Linda. Dis-enrolling people from the tribe was, and never will be the answer to what you cannot accomplish alone. You your self's actually amount to a splinter group when you applied as the Toyon by OUR 1993 deadline. And again when you Malone's wanted remove all the Central Valley people back in 2003. Why was that again, oh yeah, because you don't "like" Gloria Gomez. A real Wintu leader would can the bullshit set your personal differences aside and work for the good of all the Wintu, not just your pitiful family. Perhaps you begin to see that everyone around you when they become involved are forced to see your strangle-hold on the tribal government thru illegal elections every year. You can't have both tribes (Toyon and the Wintu Tribe), tribal members see for themselves the tribal council stop the Wintu meeting and then have the Not for profit meeting separate. Ask questions Wintu members, find out for yourselves why the general members aren't on the not for profit list but they have a separate general council listing for members? And the way they have it currently structured by the careful help of Non-Wintu CILS attorney Mary Risling, and this was only the Curl and Malone descendants will benefit from any monetary revenue from the tribe in the future? Read your Constitution. 33% to constitute a majority? Well from the 91 members base roll that's almost exactly the percentage of the 17 member extended family Curl-Malone Voting Block.

If theirs nothing wrong with the way the tribe is currently being run then why did Caleen Sisk leave the Curl-Malone Board to formulate the Traditional Winnmem? Why did Jill leave the Curl- Malone group? Why did Loretta Root leave the Curl Malone Ground? Why did 350 other Wintu leave to join United Bands after you illegally adopted your likewise illegally drafted Curl-Malone Wintu of Northern California Interim Constitution in 2003 by a vote, to small, to exact it. Ask the Nor-el-muk, the wintu from Trinity County, if they'll have anything to do with the Curl-Malone Board? Why did Gloria Gomez stick with the Central Valley Wintu after your family, in the name of your fraudulent tribe, drag her into court back in 1997-1998? It wasn't because you actually picketed in front of her private residence that year.... ya' think? And why would a single member who regained salmon harvesting rights on his own and fished for 6 years using traditional methods without assistance from the tribe, then be threatened with dis-enrollment after being nominated for Wintu Tribal Council?

Internal conflicts aside, the Wintu- interband disputes of our tribe have been addressed by attorneys representing us (as early as 2001), and now have been addressed by the Department of the Interior, and their position on "splintering" of petitioning groups is clear, if any ambiguity existed before surrounding duplicate petitions doomed for negative determinations, duplicate petitioners will not receive assistance or acknowledgement.

To absolve the Wintu bands is easy, the only obstacle to our rapid progression and eventual recognition is just a lot of power tripping old people that have entertained a false sense of control over the tribal membership for so long that it seem the leaders won't even won't take their finger off the button, and resolve petty differences for the good of the people.

The link to the notice from the Assistant Secretary of the Interior on Current Splinter groups:

Federal Register 5/23/08

Toyon/ Wintu Tribe of Nor Cal Funny Money?

2008-05-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Someone call the IRS quick. Over a quarter of a million dollars have gone thru the Wintu Tribal Councils hands in the last five years. That' over $250,000.00 directly to Linda and Gene Malone's pockets. Wintu Tribal Members must ask yourselves,

"Do you really want the Wintu Tribe to continue to be lead by the Curls and Malone Families alone?"

(from the City of Shast Lake Website City Council Meeting Munutes @ www.ci.shasta-lake.ca.us)

Development Block Grant funds
Letter of Support - City of Shasta Lake’s Community Development Block Grant Award for
Wintu Tribe Community Center
(A-050-060)
It is the recommendation of the Assistant to the City Manager that the City Council authorize
the Mayor to send a letter of support to the City of Shasta Lake relative to the location
chosen by the Wintu Tribe of Northern California to construct a cultural/multi-purpose
community center on Bureau of Indian Affairs property utilizing $1 million in Community Block Grand Funds.

State of California Department of Housing and Community Development
Block Grant Program (CDBG) in the amount of $1,000,000 grant for the Wintu Tribe of
Northern California – Toyon Wintu Center to construct a 4,500 – 5,000 square foot
Cultural/Multi-purpose Community Center, located on the property known as Toyon Wintu Center.

the link:

Wintu Tribe Recives 1 Million Dollars, Still No Legal Elections, No Oversite of Not- For Profit Organization Headed By Only Two Families

Redding Rancheria Chair Barbara Murphy

2008-05-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

(photo) Redding Rancheria Chair Barbara Murphy

(note- sorry we are having photo difficulties, image of rotting log in no way represents Barbara Murphy Chairperson of the Redding Rancheria.)

2008-05-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

Governator, "Indianz Shoud payah thei'ah feaih shaih!"

Non-Gaming California Wintu Member, "Governator, why do you accept money from tribes that are civil rights violators?"

CILS Involved in Fmr. Sen. Richard Pombo and the Jack Abrhamhoff Scandal

2008-05-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

Fmr. Congressman Richard Pombo (R)

New, it seems that CILS has history of dealing with fraudulent Congressmen like Fmr. Congressmen Richard Pombo (R- CA) of Marin. Congressmen Pombo who was implicated in the Jack Abrhamoff illegal tribal contribution scandal in Washington DC, where millions of illegal tribal gaming revenue contributions were exposed after being bilked from tribes by the Federal government in return for cushy investment, development and lucrative gaming deals. Like the increase in gaming revenue sharing, there bye limiting tribal sovereignty, legislation that was supported by the pro-federal over site of Redding Rancheria, masked under Prop 1A, in 2000.

Later in 2004 Pombo was critical in unison with CILS in contributing California Indian Gaming Revenue Illegally taken from California distribution funds meant for dis-advantaged non-gaming California Indians to Washington DC and onto the floor on congress, where that year was passed the sweeping reformist bill, "The American Indian Probate Reform Act", which has proved to further complicate decade old litigations like Cobel, and done little to settle trust assets from small tribes like the Wintu. CILS herald this legislation as,

"Protecting our precious land has been among the highest priorities of CILS since our founding by California Indians nearly forty years ago"

CILS claims this as positive federal action in the name of California Indians as part of CILS pro-active work with tribes in this state. All while federal land sales of former Wintu Allotments Continue to this day.

From CILS's own website on 5/8/08, CILS tells of past dealings with the implicated US senator Richard Pombo (R) from the north bay area. The link here:

CILS Article on Sen. Richard Pombo

2008-05-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Who Are California Indian Legal Services?

2008-05-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Who are CILS? What do they do? They helped California Indians back in the 1980's in the Tillie Hardwick days, they helped a little with fishing rights in the 1970's, they were created by motivated California Indians like David Risling?

Where is CILS now? What are they doing for Tribes today? Are they helping your tribe? Or are they just gobbling up monetary resources that would be better left to administered by your tribal government for the direct benefit of your tribal members?
Tribal ANA Grants to the Toyon Wintu in 2006 totalled over $155,000, over a quarter of a million dollars, while Toyon is still closed and the Curl-Malone Board is still in control of the Tribal Council. No doubt some of the money was used by the Curl-Malone Board to convert the late tribal elder Lala Curl's private home into the new Wintu Tribal Offices on Oasis Road in North Redding.

The Wintu Tribe, and other non-federally recognised tribes waiting on the secretaries list for recognition in particular, end-up doing the work of funneling hundreds of thousands of federal and private dollars from Federal and private grantor's, thru tribal grant solicitations, directly to CILS.

It is alleged that things like tribal training, legal consultations, and administrative assistance are offered to tribes seeking recognition, but of course when they play the grant game, and register as tribal not for profit 501.3 (c) tax exempt organizations. Not exactly emanations of traditional tribal governments, more like forced appendages to failed federal statutes that have left dozens of entire tribes with out acknowledgement in the State of California, while dozens of other tribes, that actually represent the minority of California Indians, have grown to multi-billion dollar corporations. And some, like in the case of Redding Rancheria in Shasta County and the City of Redding, tribes have been established in denial of the tribe in which territory they reside. With no legal assistance from CILS.

Issues like the recent dis-enrollments; the now, long going "missing special distribution fund" monies meant for non-gaming tribes like the Wintu that have been "lost" in Sacramento; sale of federal lands held in trust for Wintu members, illegal tribal elections, violations of tribal ordinances, fabrication of tribal documents, and en'masse' tribal petitions seeking legal relief have been ignored by CILS and to date do NOTHING to assist California Indians engulfed in violations of Civil Rights be being stripped of their right to Inclusion in Community, and Denial of Identity.

The Wintu Had a Rez?

2008-04-11T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Ash Creek Reservation was Established in 1851 when the Chiefs of the Wintu Tribes signed the Treaty of Cottonwood Creek with Indian Agent O.M. Wozencraft.

The Treaty of Cottonwood Creek ceded over 2.3 million acres (2.304 or 60 mi sq.) of Wintu lands in Northern California. Lands rich in gold and other minerals, vast timber reserves, plentiful water sources, and large tracts of fertile agricultural land. In 1851 Northern California the Wintu far out-numbered the European-American immigrants. Still the thousands of miners swarming the landscape proved to the Wintu to be disruptive to native food resources and native sustenance patters, and this section of the State at the time was refereed to as Indian Territory on Maps. Non-Indians vehemently wanted the land for their own and stopped at nothing to remove the Wintu from the landscape. Numerous massacres of Wintu, Yana, and Pit River peoples amongst others were a regular occourance for decades, thievery of women and children for sale into legalized indentureship was commonplace, and the decades long starvation perpetuated upon the Wintu people by miners literally stripping the hillsides bare in search for gold, left no deer or acorns on the hill sides, nor any salmon or trout in the rivers or streams, many Wintu succoumbed to starvation in the first twenty years of contact with Euro-Americans. Finally when the Federal Treaty signers came in 1851 to the Rancho San Buenaventura summoning all the Leaders of the Wintu, the tribe was in a most destitute situation.The Treaty of Cottonwood Creek established the 1.4 million acre (1.459 or 38 sq mi.)Ash Creek Reservation that served as little more that a stopping ground for the Wintu and other tribes being taken there. It had been almost twenty (20) years since the malaria epidemics of 1831 swept thru the valley taking one in three lives, brought here by Hudson Bay Trappers from British Columbia, and two decades of Spanish Land Granting of which P.B. Reading's San Buenaventura was the Northernmost. Little did the Wintu leaders know when signing that later that year back in Washington D.C. Federal Legislators had no intention of honoring this or the other Seventeen Lost Treaties of California. The Treaties signed that year with the Tribes of California ceded the entire state and in one move the government deprived the Indians of land legally and almost over night where being forced onto hastily set up military reservations. Places like Hoopa Valley Reservation (1856), Tule River Reservation (1854), Round Valley Reservation (1854), Ft. Bidwell Reservation (1858), all survived the non-ratification by becoming Military Refugee Camps where thousands of Indians from many tribes were brought as Indians were killed or herded from the landscape. Others like Upper Klamath Reservation , Mendocino Reservation, Ash Creek Reservation, Tejon Reservation were abandoned during the 1850's and opened for non-Indian settlement.

The Treaties were hidden by Congress in 1852 and were not re-located until 1905.

Cultural Resourses- Who really Looses When Wintu Sites are Developed and the Environment is Damaged?

2008-04-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

(photo)- Dana to Downtown- Highway 44 Bridge at Redding. Who really looses when Wintu Village sites are looted or destroyed by development activity itself? As the first people of Shasta County, and the immediate Redding area, the Wintu today continue hardly noticed in the environment or in the community. When the Wintu Reservation at Toyon in Shasta Lake City was closed all hope was dashed of any future where the local non-Indian community at large would acknowledge past wrongs and we would take our place in the community with equal rights, and equal representation. We all loose our collective heritage as American and Californians when our Wintu past is lost and destroyed to make way for urban development in Redding.

It stands to the Shasta County and City of Redding municipal structures gain as they are currently geared towards the growth of the area and economical development, where former Sacramento River riverene and lower chaparral forest land habitats are destroyed for urbanization. If the tribe is not recognised by the federal government our ability to represent the sites and/or the environment is hindered. And it is only in the County and Cities interest to contunue to oppose our recognition or advancement in this area, the municipalities have become accustomed to fast tracking development and skirting some development requirments, like involving tribal representatives when disturbing Wintu habitation locations. In the past the wintu tribal council members have been poor at responding to the urgent needs of Wintu site destruction by develoment. Fmr. Chairman of the Wintu Tribe Gary Rickard is an Employee if Shasta County, the agency that sought the closure of Toyon. And to this day in concert with BIA and Interior do nothing for the futures of the Wintu People surviving today. This is a type of fast tracked quick development activity that has been occurring at an increasing rate in the Redding area which all too often brings the destruction of Wintu sites that are are protected by federal and California state law.

If these Wintu Village sites are protected by laws then don't the Wintu have the right to protect them? You may ask. Yes sites listed on the National Register and Lying on either federal land or private land where there has been developed an MOU concerning the future management to the site INCLUDING the tribal government of the Wintu Tribe and its various lineal descendants representing now five separate bodies of Wintu. (see article below) But the representation is sporadic. State law also protect the cultural management of former Wintu places with the Redding Rancheria, with gaming revenue in tow, has begun to attempt to dominate the tribal resourse response field in the Redding area despite the Rancheria lacking being a pre-historic tribe and despite their being a tribe created by the Federal Government in 1922. They are composed of mostly Pit River Indians from well to the east of Redding.

Normally the state of California and its "Heritage Commission Panel" decides inter tribal disputes as to identify tribal territories, when in conflict, but also response from the Heritage Commission to real Wintu issues, on site, is nil to sporadic as well.

When Cal Trans and US Fish and Wildlife Serv. tried to remove a Bald Eagle from a nesting site on the Sacramento River at Redding so the city could work on re-fitting of a bridge spanning the river, it echoed the removal of Wintu Indians from this same vicinity in the 1850 and 1860's. White people haven't learned much as to accepting their dark past of genocide, nor the current need of the Wintu people to not only community, but recognition to religious and spiritual freedom that is connected with these sites and always has been. For it is our past.

The Cypress Bridge construction currently taking place during the Peak of the Sacramento River Chinook's Winter Run, the most endangered run for its extremely low runs, is also co-inciding with the lowest total run numbers the California Department of Fish and game have recorded in thirty (30) years. During the construction up to 48 inch piles are driven by giant crane rams out into the stream bed of the river directly into dozens of redds, the actual spawning areas along the river where the Chinook lay their eggs.

The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) mitigated the loss of this habitat by calling for "future restoration elsewhere on the river. The problem with this solution, like so many other "quick development" recommendation" from local environmental mitigation firms like Enplan, Far Western and the Genesis Society, is, the river turbidity, temperature and aggregate size all co-incide at the Highway 44 Bridge construction site, and at the Cypress Bridge Construction site and these conditions are unique to the locations and cannot be re-created elsewhere. Losses in spawning habitat that an already endangered winter run chinook population cannot sustain.

These bridge constructions are reminiscent of Gifford Construction's; the contractor hired to build the Sundial Bridge, that released an unknown amount of toxic sediment into the Sacramento River in 2004, just upstream from the Hwy 44- Turtle Bay section of the Sacramento River at Redding. Also during the Chinook Winter Run and unfortunately also directly adjacent to Sulphur Creek, which erased the last few years restoration activities meant to restore the vitality of this critical spawning and rearing habitat on Sulphur Cr. for multiple runs of Chinook and the last run of Fall Steel Head of the Sacramento River.

Along the river and else where non-native species and encroachment of noxious weeds into the environment have literally chocked out miles of former viable salmon spawning habitat along local creeks or habitat has been entirely destroyed by development and/or water diversions. The Wintu have always known these invasive species where not from here as they are not among the wide array of plants we used (and some still use) in daily lives.

Local Fisheries Biologists, State Legislators, Commercial Fishermen, Non-Indian Salmon Fishing Guides are all crying around about "the salmon didn't spawn in the Sacramento river in 2007". Well look at the numbers folks, they were on a steady recovery until 2002. What changed in their environments that year? And where's our Indian Dollars from all the casino's going if the state doesn't give some to salmon fishery research and restoration immediately Wild Salmon on the Sacramento River might soon become a thing of the past. And this should come as a warning, because its coming from this areas first people. Strip Development in the Sacramento Valley and along the I-5 Coridor has decreased the Chinook salmon fishery of the Sacramento River and it is time to for developers and the state acknowledge the current development strategies are not viable for a sustainable environment in the long term and are not cohesive to the states recent strides to remain green in the 21'st century. Locally action needs to be taken to reduce wastes into the stream systems around the increasing urban environments, including actions by politicians on industry to limit pollutants entering the river system by area companies. More stringent development laws have to be enacted surrounding to slow or stop development in these sensitive areas on and directly adjacent to the Sacramento river because as they are lost to urban development they will not be saved as open spaces.

Why have open spaces? Yes for the environmental gains. Also to sustain the local Wintu Native Peoples connectivity to these environments which is hand in hand with the native sustainable management. Which amount to local agencies simply allowing for tribal usage of lands which today are mismanaged by local municipalities. Having Wintu people practicing our culture and religion in the area adds to the vitality of the over all community and its time we are allowed to, perhaps even encouraged to utilise, after so long being officially kept off, what truly is our own lands.

Who were the Yana? Who are the Yana today?

2008-04-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

Photo- Ishi last of what was made out to be by non-indians as the "last of his people". The story sold a lot of books in the early 1900's. His people were the Southern Yana or Yahi, more specifically the Deer and Mill Creek Yahi. Euro-American settlers commited repeated genocidal; acts upon these people during the 1850's and '60's. Their population was reduced by massacres perpetuated by Euro-american settlers from a few thousand people to extinction in two short decades. The Yana were not alone in anhilation, local tribes like the Chimariko, the Okwanuchu, the Nongathl, and the Lassik carry stories today where whole peoples during the Northern California Gold Rush in 1849 were killed or removed to make way for euro-american emigrants to "settle" our Indian Lands.

Today anthropologists, a century later, churn thru their scientific documents to try and accurately interpret the data recorded by earlyer ethnographersand some recent ambiguity has been arising surrounding Ishi and the Yana. What are the implications for the Wintu? Are there any? Sometimes institutional research methods or even the research data itself it is at odds with tribal views. And unfortuantely sometimes it is at odds with widely accepted published data.

Even so we can be wary as native Americans, even Wintu ourselves at the institutions ability to accurately verify history by the written record, or the settlers side of this story alone, and many others in the immediate northern Sacramento valley region. Ambiguity has been surfacing since the 1990's by anthropologists in California that are looking at the recorded data from Ishi over again, thing like linguistic morphological studies on the Yana- Wintu, Yana- Pit River have been done that seem to point to more of a link between the two tribal spheres than previously considered.

This along with applied Obsidian Hydration Analysis studies and arrow point typology assessments have have together pointed to more similarities between at least Ishi's band of Deer Creek Yahi at the fringes of the lower valley, and the full-on riverene culture of the river dwelling Wintu that occupied the villages down to the mouth of Deer Creek. (see handbook Yana Map, Ishi Sketch, wintu names ref, memponna, memsol, chidel, dausol, kenponna, ect.). The obvious question to a Wintu or Yana Indian today is could part of Ishi's lineage be from one of the Wintun Villages lower down along Deer or Mill Creek? Or could Ishi simply have been imitating the larger and finer construction of larger arrowheads the Riverene Wintun, of whom's villages he is recorded to have visited, as a boy and young man, for communal food and ceremonial reasons. Or is it a Case of poor scientific research, as usual in denial of the mountainous oral history that exists as evidence for Ishi's heritage. They found him now they re-found his heritage?

The SFSU website lists Archaeologist Gretchen Kell's published data questioning Ishi's cultural heritage from the early phase culture type thought to be reminiscent of typical Yana.

UC Berkeley Webpage on Ishi Culture Obscurity

Even fiftythings.com lists Ishi's story under the Wintu Tribe. It took UC Berkeley until 1996 to figure out that not only had the Yana survived (there bye nullifying the whiteman-ish gratification of him being the last of a race and being "found" in the wilderness by Kroeber. All while some dozen plus can been found at the Redding Rancheria and many Yana are Achomawi, Atsegewi, and Madesi band of Pit River and well as the few at the Redding Rancheria.

Ishi's remains were repatriated to the tribe from the Italian Cemetery in SF where Kroeber Buried him, to the Pit River and Redding Rancheira Tribes, the Wintu not included in Ishi's repat. We do not benefit from federal repatriation as our status is listed as non-recognised, but on the Secretary of the Interiors List for Actve Consideration.

To the rising tide of Federalized Indians from Redding Rancheria dominating the cultural resource field with gaming revenue and political influence locally and federally the the larger body of non-recognised Wintu Indians has been denied health, welfare, cultural protection, education self-governance and self-determination while area tribes like the Redding Rancheria have been allowed to grow into multi-million dollar corporations.

(L to R) Sam Batwi ("Yuki Sam" Central Yana), A.L. Kroeber, Ishi (Yahi) in 1911

Introducing Terrifying Tracy Edwards

2008-04-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Terrifying Tracy Edwards. I am the mastermind behind the Redding Rancheria Disenrollments where 57 members of the Foreman Family were kicked out of the Tribe so I could get richer and my partner in crime Barbara Murphy could have her tummy tucked. I don't know shit about being Indian as I was never raised around my community or on the Rancheria. And as aresult don't care about all the Wintu people we defraud every day by the LIE that is Win River Casino.
At Redding Rancheria you don't HAVE to be an Inidian, we have enough money and power and influence you just have to FEEL Indian cuz when it comes to ripping of the Wintu it ain't hard to do, we just picked up where the white man left of and no-one has ever said anything about it.
I got to go to school with federal dollars and collect millions after getting my law degree to use to violate my members rights and establishing my phillanious tribal court to remove all that oppose me from the tribe, it wasn't long after I moved home that I figured out I don't even like indians, but I sure like my casino check. Screw the indian community.

Am I even Indian? You decide.

Wintu Housing Fact or Fiction?

2008-03-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Wintu Housing at Toyon Fact or Fiction?

The Wintu Tribes housing situation as of 2008 is bleak. In 1987 the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Shasta County Officials sought the forceful closeure and removal of Wintu Tribal Members from their former hoes at Toyon/ Wintu Center, a recognised reservation for the Wintu Tribe that was opertaed from 1971, as a result of the occupation of unused federal facility by Tribal Members, until 1987. Since then the Wintu Tribe has had no where to call home, and no efforts by the BIA have been made to aquire land for the homeless Wintu Members and elders. Up to 3/4 of the 350 member tribe are in need of housing, including elders and families. The largest loss thought comes when it is considered the Wintu for 21 years have had no-where to congregate.

Again, an example can be made from the Pit River Tribe's success's, recognised under the Reagan (R) administration in 1984 the Pit River Tribe has gone on to work with teh BIA and the Department of the Interior to construct homes and the required infrastructure and severeal communities in Pit River Ancestral Territory, including up at XL, Alturas Ranceria, Biebier, many new homes in Burney, and Big Bend/ Montgomery Cr./ Roaring Cr. Things like bridges, roads, grading, water lines and power even internet access has been brought to Pit River tribal members that have spent an equal ammount of time without them. The tribe was able to work in concert with local contractors and officials to get the job done for the benefit of tribal members, and most recently in January 2007 three new Pit River families were given new homes in Montgomery Creek and Neubieber.

The Wintu Tribal Council must take steps tward re-opening the facilities at Toyon, it has been far to long that Toyon has sat fenced off, and our people scattered about, it is time to re-build Toyon and the Community there for the advancement of our future generations of Wintu People. And time for aknowlegement from the Federal Government and Local Officials and Community about the past wrongs that have been perpetuated upon us. (photo below) Jessica Jim chair Pit River Tribe presents keys to new homes for three tribal members.

Wintu Resourses- Coho (Silver) Salmon Lawsuit Filed

2008-02-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

Coho salmon focus of lawsuit

Environmental groups filed a lawsuit Monday against the state Department of Fish and Game, in an effort to get the agency to overturn logging regulations adopted in December.
The groups -- which include the Environmental Protection Information Center, Sierra Club and California Trout -- contend that the regulations don't do enough to protect coho salmon. The lawsuit was filed in the San Francisco Superior Court.
The sea-run fish are protected by the state's Endangered Species Act and found in the north state's Trinity and Klamath rivers. (Story Link)

NEW 2003 Wintu Tribal Election Fraud?

2008-02-24T21:45:00.000-08:00

Annual elections for the Wintu Tribe/ Toyon Wintu Tribe historically have been public knowlege and thier candidates and results reguarly published in Redding area publications like the Record Searchlight, currently an E.W. Scripps Co. owned conseravtive based news source that continues to shun the focus of media attention on the Wintu Tribe or its varied issues, in favor of the more economically contributive Redding Rancheria (RR). The RR also based in Redding and established Win- River Casino a lucritive native american gaming faciltiy in operation since 1990. The gaming revenue generated by Win- River Casino, however, does not benfit the larger Wintu Tribe, in which, ancestral territory the quasi alien Win-River Casino lies. The RR contibutes hundreds of thousands of dollars to the State of California every year, tens of thousands of dollars to the Newspaper annualy, partially, it is alleged. to supress the plight of the Wintu People. The cumulative generated contributory asset revenue capacity to the state and other agencies generated by Win-River (and the RR)since its opening is estimated to be in excess of $180,000,000 (180 million) US dollars (Root- Wintu Demograph- 1998), while the Wintu Tribe remains landless and without federal aknowlegement.

It has come to the attention of Stop Wintu Fraud Editors that a small group of Wintu Members were disenrolled from the Toyon Wintu Tribe/ Wintu Tribe of Northern California's tribally prepared "base roll", that has not yet been approved by the secreatry of the interior (BIA). Carol Sinclair, Wintu Elder and Cultural Resourse Director for the tribe for the last two decades, was disenrolled as a result of the actions of the tribal council and its enrollment committee shortly after the 2003 Wintu Tribal Elections along with 10 other individuals. These 11 Wintu have become known as the Wintu 11. Ms. Sinclair has gone on record as stating it was following provocation, her and another unidentified Wintu Tribal member concurrently serving on the Wintu Tribe Enrollment Committee began to bring questions to the Tribal Council as to enrollment proceedures, and tribal election proceedures, and brought fourth allegations of vote tampering by the 2002 Tribal Council member Linda Malone, and Carol Martin. Vote tampering allegations that include Ms. Sinclair, "... watching Linda throw ballots out (of the ballot box) and onto the floor, and in the trash...". Taking place in June 2002 at the old Wintu Tribal office at the end of the Downtown Mall on Placer St. in Redding. This is alleged to have occoured in front of Womens Leagure of Voters Officials present to provide oversite to the Tribal Election by an unbiased outside body. But whether or not the League recognises the Results or these Election Officials, or the Officials identities has yet to be verified by Stop Wintu Fraud. Other Tribal members that voted in person in 2003 reported seeing the, "... grey haired non-indian ladies in a seprerate room form the voting chambers...", that were, "...tallying ballots with Carol Martin and Linda Malone present."

In an attempt to assure the intergrity of the vote Sinclair and another un-named Tribal Member tried and failed to gain larger tribal support for recount and later recall of the tribal council in 2004. Actions of which are legal proceedures outlined in the Wintu Constitution. These Individuals were bothat the time of the incident serving on the Wintu Election Committee and serving as Election Officers at the proceedings, and were told ot leave while the "illegal" election proceed. The election results saw the Encumbants all being re-elected, some for the 5 and 6th terms consecutively, reigns of tribal leadership that lasted for over 15 years in some cases. Gary Rickard, a progressive, was elected chairman as a result of this vote while some traditionalists, like Loretta Root, lost by small margins.

The tribal council at that time (1998-2006) has come to be known as the Curl-Malone Board which was responsible for several attemts at violations of the tribal members rights inclding political convolution with the WWO (winnemem wintu organization), seeking to reduce the tribal roll (dis-enroll) by more than 350 people, and passing a illeaglly written document as the 2003 interim Wintu Constitution, an attmept by the former CILS attourney, Mary Risling, to draft controls into the Wintu Constitution. Controls that would have enabled the Curl-Malone Board to violate various former tribal member rights that are guarenteed by former Toyon Constitution. The governing document by which the tribe had been operating, albeit sporadically, since the closure of the facilities at Toyon by the BIA in 1987. The rule-change violations alleged in the secific rights vioaltions include the language "...right to deprive of life propertry or liberty without prior notice...", and the heavily suspect language that attempted to hand the WWO power to control all of the tribes archaeological and spiritual resourses. The language was removed by a majority vote of tribal members in 2003, denoucing the Curl-Malone Board and its memebers ability and future goal, in capacity to regain the sole rights to the use of the lands at Toyon Wintu Center.

The Wintu 11 are a small numer of California Indians in comparison to the other 2000+ tribal disenrollments statewide California's Gaming Tribes have seen in the last several years, but the lack of civil rights enforcement quite equal. 57 members of the Foreman Family were also disenrolled from the Redding Rancheria, a scandal which recieved national media attention, the Wintu 11 and the the Disenrollments of 2003 by the Wintu Tribe's enrollment committee members in contrast has seen no media attention to this day.

Allegations of illegal tribal elections, tribal voter fraud, illegal use of the identity of the Womens League of Voters by the Wintu Enrollment Committee, Wintu Constitution and Wintu Election Ordanance violations, vioaltions of the Brown Act, Violations of Civil Rights, Illegal Seizure of Tribal Assetts without CFR Probate, are just some of the Allegations that are coming to light as a result of inquests by Stop Wintu Fraud contributors.

Stop Wintu Fraud is seeking Contributors on Wintu Rights Violations, you can email stopwintufraud@gmail.com for information on how to contribute to the exsposure of Wintu Fraud.

Wintu Bands Geography

2008-02-21T13:16:00.001-08:00

Wintu band areas- Map Published in DuBois- 1931 Wintu ethnography The Wintu Tribal band areas were described, at that time as being the Bald Hill, Keswick, Stillwater, French Gulch, Upper Trinity, Hayfork, Upper Scaramento River, and McCloud River.

These 1931 surviving Wintu that recollected pre-historical village- family locations relayed a incomplete list of Wintu Bands as some at that time had been entirely extinct from Gold Rush era massacres, dieseases, famine and conditions, and removal to reservations abroad. The prehistoric list of Wintu Bands are: Daunom, El Pom, Pui dal pom, Nom ti pom, Nom sus, Nor Muk, Wenamem, Wai muk, and the Pui su.

The correlation of prehistoric Wintu Band Names to historic (1931) era surviving Wintu band locations are: Bald Hill - Dau nom, Keswick- El Pom, Stillwater- Pui dal pom, French Gl.- Kl' bal pom, Upper Trinity- Nom sus, Hayfork- Nor Muk, Upper Sacramento River- Nom ti pom, and McCloud River.

As one can see the Pui sus, and Wai muk were not represented in the later 1931 list but I will attempt to outline those bands histories in a later post. The modern band correlations to prehistoric Wintu Bands are:

-Nom sus (Upper Trinity), Nor Muk (Hayfork) are today the Nor- Rel-Muk Nation

-Daunom, Elpom, Wenamem, Nomtipom, Klablpom all compose the Wintu Tribe of Northern California. Fmr. Toyon Wintu Tribe.

-United Bands- All Bands

- El pom- is now the El-Pom Keswick Rancheria

- Dau nom- Wintun of Cottonwood

- Wintu of Shasta- ?

- Wintu of Central Valley- ?

- Wenamem- WWO Winnemem Wintu Organization- Puisus- ???

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

2008-02-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

(map) Pit River bands & 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!

WHERE'S THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS DURING ALL OF THIS?

2008-02-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

(photo) In 1972 about 500 Native Americans went to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the protesters took over the BIA building. The occupation ended after government officials agreed to appoint a committee to study the demands and not to arrest the protesters.

Isn't The BIA supposed to assist tribes and faciltiate resolution in intra-tribal matters?

This is what white people and Indians get for your taxes?!! And members from other tribes beware, the BIA Regional Director won't be there for you on the day the Secretary of Interiors hands down the descision on your application for federal recognition either.

Isn't the BIA there fore somthing besides stamping CDIB's? Oh yeah we even have to pay for that too now, kinda like the prescription fee's at the Redding Rancheria Health Clinic thats SUPOSED TO BE FOR LOCAL WINTU INDIANS, that services 4 times the ammount of Wintu alive today, in tribal members from tribes outside the State of California.

What the hell does the BIA even do for the Indians? They don't do sh_t for the Wintu Tribe, Toyon Sat Fenced off for over twenty years, federla land sales of former allotments continue to this day, delaying our recognition by local agencies and politicians, diminishment of our our aboriginal rights, termination of our rights continue to this day....

When it comes to the Wintu Tribe, Wheres the BIA?

Sisk- Franco WWO Not For Profit's Second Unilateral Bid For Federal Recognition

2008-02-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

WWO Not For Profit Goes To Washington Seeking Recognition For the Second Time

Caleen Sisk sole spiritual and political leader (dictator) of the New Age not-for profit WWO has been for the last few years, or at least since the death of the late spiritual leader Flora Jones and her questionable aquisition of Ms. Jones's land in Jones Valley, individually assumed a self provlaimed leadership position that claims traditional lines from prehistoric wintu people. In the process circulating much mis-information as to the historical identity of the Winnemem Wintu tribe and has skewed the representation of the historical former body of Wenamem (or McCloud River Wintu) for her own personal gain. Mis-information that has gone almost entirely unopposed until now! After Flora's unfortunate death Mrs. Sisk and a non-Native Mr. Marc Franco (see below article exsposing Marc Franco for being non-indian, after claiming to be a "Wintu Headman" as a result of his personal relationship with Caleen Sisk) have repeatedly tried to represent the interests of the Larger Wintu People and Tribe and its members, to various state local and federal agencies without Tribal approval from the Wintu Tribe of Northern California. These attempts to gain influence unilaterally and without concesnt have seen varying sucess.

In a Record Searchlight Article back in 2002 Mrs. Caleen Sisk Claimed that her Not for profit was composed of Shasta persons and exspressly stated in the 2002 article that "the wintu people no longer exist". It is not the goal here to attempt to identify Sisk's past or current motive(s) for the circulation of this and other mis-information, but, rather, to bring it to light for tribal members and the community at large to see the lack of intergrity of the WWO group she represnts. Or rather mis-represents.

Currently Sisk has released information that the WWO not for profit after recently recieving errant support from an obcscure board of Intergovernmental Affairs for the State of Califirnia in January 2008 that she is going back to Washington DC seeking support for her sole led group for federal recognition. For the second time! Sisk tried for recognition thru Congress while Flora was still alive back in 2002. Luckily for the other hundreds of Wintu tribal members Sisk's attempt failed. it would have handed her power of the Winnemem Wintu Oraganization while recognising it as a tribe, like the rancheria, allowing her to violate her members rights with impunity as a result of tribal soveighnty without oversite, she has already shown that she is not worthy of the position nor trusted in any capacity by the Tribal Government of the Wintu Tribe.

After members completed the Journey to Justice Exhibit at the Newly Completed Turtle Bay Museum in Redding, Ca, Sisk tried to gain support for recogntiion at that time in the halls of congress using the Exhibit at Turtle Bay as leverage, an exhibit Sisk or the Winnmem were never involved in. She also tried to use the Documentary "in the light of reverence" that portrayed the last doctor of our people as proof of her fraudulent claims to the "traditional leader ship of the winnmem band or people.

The Winnemem claimed in 2006 that it was Winnemem members that were benefiting from a salmon harvesting permit on the Sacramento and this was false as well. There is only one Wintu Man that harvests on the Sacramento River. Sisk also claimed an identical membership level that was presented to the Wintu tribal members in 2004, of 173. The same number in the Wintu Tribal news letter that year and the same number claimed By Sisk in the Record Searchlight article.

It has been in the recent past the effect on split tribes like our that the entire group be denied recognition as a result of splintering of bands (JuanenoNov. 2007), the lack of intermarrage of members (need 50% intermarrage- Mattaponi descision2007), and the splitting of tribal assets including lands (Enterprise Rancheria 1,2). it the Wintu tribe (ALL BANDS) continues on like this none of us will be recognised.

If Sisk thinks she has the resourses to move BIA faster why isn't she helping the WINTU PEOPLE?

Why isn't she being transparent about her motives for the WWO?

Not only is this incorrect for her to singularly go to DC and appeal for just her "group", while the remainder of the 800 Wintu waiting for recogntion now for 25 years, it is also a LIE to the representatives in which she is spinning her story.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/02/15/18479418.php

Wailakki Disambiguation- Athabascan or Penutian ?

2008-02-09T09:08:00.000-08:00

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.

Gold Rush Toxic Legacy- Altoona Mine Mercury in Trinity River Watershed

2008-02-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Gold Rush Toxic Legacy- Altoona Mine

Trinity River Mercury

Cinnibar / Mercury- Altoona Mine Trinity Co. Ca

Gold Rush Toxic Legacy- Altoona Mine Mercury in Trinity River- The Altoona Mine is located in Trinity County on the East Fork of the upper Trinity River above modern day Trinity Lake. In 1944 the Altoona mine was the 9th largest mercury producing mine in the country and its output was several times that for years, like many other early Gold Rush mines, Altoona operated in comlete dis-reguard for the native foods, native peoples, the lands in which we lived and the wild life there.

The exsploitation by hydraulic and hard rock mining in the area led to the name "the Northern Mines". Of the 26 million tons (26,000,000) of mercury used here 8 million tons,today, remains un-accounted for. The mining process included the extraction of raw gold from ore bearing minerals, these processes changed over time from simple stamp or wheel mills, used to crush the ore. Changed when larger mechanized techniqes were available to blast furnace smelting processes that introduced into the local environment minerals like aresenic, mercury, lead, and sulphur. These methods were used in large scale industrial processes for decades in the mining extraction methods, and the discharged into area rivers and streams where residual particulates remain to this day.

These toxic discharges from the former mines resulted in massive wildlife kills early in the historical era. Today the poluted alluvual depostits are situated along the Trinity and Lower Klamath Rivers and under Trinity Lake behind Clair Engle Dam, where natural water flows from the Trinity River are diverted in tunnels and emptied into the Sacramento River at the Spring Creek arm of Keswick Lake for irrigation purposes.The system is known as Trinity Project portion of the Central Valley Project or CVP (map).

When built Trinity Reservoir impeded the upper Trinity River, blocking contaminated sediments beneath the reservoir, some of which still continues down the Trinity River. Recent studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and the State Water Resources Control Board indicated that some species of fish in Trinity Lake and other water bodies in the Trinity River watershed contain elevated levels of mercury and could pose a health risk to people who eat them frequently. In northern California water bodies mercury is a legacy of gold and mercury mining activities that began during the Gold Rush and continued until approximately 1960. Both gold and mercury were mined in the Trinity River watershed and some mercury remains today. The inactive Altoona Mercury Mine is located along the East Fork Trinity River and is reported to contribute significantly to the mercury content of Trinity Lake. Current USGS H2O testing is focused on the East Fork main stream and tributaries and continues in 2008.

Excessive exposure to methylmercury can affect the nervous system leading to subtle decreases in learning ability, language skills, attention, and memory, developing fetuses and children are especially sensitive. Symptoms at higher levels of exposure could include loss of coordination and vision problems.

Liquid mercury moves relatively slowly through river systems and accumulates in places where sediments are trapped, such as reservoirs. Bacteria convert this inorganic form of mercury into a more toxic, organic form, known as methylmercury, which fish take in from their diet. Methylmercury can accumulate in fish to concentrations many thousands of times greater than mercury levels in the surrounding water. Because methylmercury accumulates in fish slowly over time, larger fish of a species usually have higher concentrations of methylmercury than smaller fish from the same water body

Mercury concentrations in samples of water, sediment, insects, amphibians, and fish indicate that the inactive Altoona mercury mine, which drains into the East Fork Trinity River, is a significant contributor of mercury to Trinity Lake. Ongoing studies are focused on understanding the fate and transport of mercury from the Altoona mine into Trinity Lake.

These mercury contaminants effect the last endangered runs of west coast wild chinook, coho, and steelehead. And these anadroumous fish constitute the native fishery of the Trinity-Klamath Watershed, protected and guarenteed by federal legislation. The last large native fishery in California.

Gold Rush Toxic Legacy- Mammoth Mine Kennett, Ca

2008-01-24T00:19:00.000-08:00

The Mammoth Smelter at Kennett, Ca

The gold rush town of Kennett was established on the Upper Sacramento River at the Wintu village of Mo-nok-che-row (now the site of Shasta Dam) by euro-American miners on the boundary of Nom-Ti-Pom Wintu and El-Pom Wintu lands in the 1850's after the Old Oregon Trail from Shasta to Yreka was re-opened after the Wintu Wars of 1854-56. The more mountainous route to Oregon from the Sacramento Valley via Trinity and Scott Mountains to Ft. Jones was favored until a peace with the Wintu tribe of the upper Sacramento canyon allowed pack trains thru again. In 1858 with mail and supplies for the miners already in the northern mines, the first whites to pass thru the upper Sacramento canyon did so after one final foray ending in U.S. Military action. This blockade was ended at the Battle of Castle Crags with the United States army and Gen. Crook marching up the Trinity River to late to engage with settlers already in the thick of battle against both the Trinity Wintu, the Sacramento River Wintu retreating to the safety of the granite cliffs of Castle Crags.

The former town of Kennett was inundated in 1943, as Shasta Lake was filled after construction of Shasta Dam. The actual construction of the dam took several years to complete and the people and the town were forced by the Federal government to move during this time. Most of the remains of these towns still lies beneath the waters of lake Shasta. The entire reservoir flooded a significant portion of traditional wintu lands from four bands and caused many families to abandon Indian land allotments granted by the federal government. These Individual Indian Allotments, or IIA's, represent the link of legal title to the land beneath Shasta Lake and the Wintu people. In a changing world system where ownership and money evaluations were introduced in a short 40 years it was not difficult for the the federal government to create double-handed legislative actions designed to both deprive the Wintu of Land and their obligation to acknowledge our existence, there bye extinguishing the Dep't of the Interior's (BIA) need to allocate funding for the well being of the Wintu people.

The federal government had been geared more towards policies of extermination, and removal to reservations like the Nom-Lakki Reservation in Tehema County, Ft. Reading and the failed Ash Creek Reservation, and far away Round Valley are all military reservations where Wintu were sporadically sent, herded about in groups by armed militias, hired and reimbursed by the state and Federal government to "protect the Indians". Only after these genocidal acts, 30 years later were any federal assistance made available for the land acquisition. Following the allotment act passed by congress, this meant for the few Wintu still residing in their lands could receive title to land and not be pushed from place to place or kept under the slave like indentureship policies used throughout the era. Though, not all Wintu families were allotted.

Of course one could imagine even then it was difficult at best to get white land surveyors and BIA officials to rual parts of the state to survey and register the land officially with interior. But some did and they are some of the diverse families that make up the Wintu Tribe today.

Gold Rush Toxic Legacy- Bully Hill Mine, Copper City, Ydalpom

2008-01-23T17:48:00.000-08:00

The Bully Hill Mine

The Bully Hill mine and associated mining town of Delamar, was occupied and operated by Euro-Americans in Pui-su Wintu Territory from 1863 until 1910. It was originally named Buli after the wintu name of a local hi Wintu chief. The mine produced 48 million pounds of copper during its years in production and an unknown amount of mercury used in the floatation process of refining both copper and gold, which was then discharged into area streams both by this large scale operation at Bully Hill. Operations like the Balaklala Mine in El-Pom Wintu territory and the Mammoth Mine site and the Ingot Mine among others.

These high volume mining extraction methods were allowed to continue for decades in Wintu land along with the mining's methods of smelting, where Mercury was dumped in the rivers and toxic particulates like sulphur dioxide were dispersed into the air, were allowed to continue for decades after the turn of the 1900's and only after protest from local citizens after a 40- 50 mile radius of the Sacramento Valley had been entirely denuded of all vegetation, and on the streets of Redding at the time agriculture was suffering as fruit orchards are reported to have been dying from the smelters toxic plumes. The mines were forced to restrict emissions in 1918 and Smelting stopped in 1920 after federal action was taken to restrict the aerial pollution.

Like so many other places in wintu territory, that is erroneously heralded by non-Indians as places of rejoice in their settler and pioneer history, there old towns stand as literal scars on the earth where not only the land suffered, but an entire race withered beneath the capitalist needs of another. Reservations could not be established fast enough to even save the Wintu as land hungry miners and settlers poured into Wintu country and thousands of Wintu died at the hands of euro-American settlers or died of starvation in the 1850's and 60's from having native food stores destroyed by whites and Wintu driven off when gathering food on accustomed ground, and when the native populations of deer and elk were gone, and the salmon failed to return in annual migrations because these fish has succumbed to rivers laden with silt and mercury from the same mine stripped hill sides the people starved, many wintu died in those days. Up to 98% of our population leading anthropologists state.

The USFWS and CDFG have identified two major sources of mercury pollution in the Upper Sacramento River watershed. Iron Mountain Mine, which is the beneficiary of federal Super Fund Site cleanup dollars, and the less known Bully Hill Mine Complex adjacent to Lake Shasta, on its Squaw Creek and Pit River arms that still leeches toxic material into Lake Shasta and thence into the Sacramento River Keswick Dam. The area, and the Pit River Canyon as well up to Montgomery Creek and round mountain is and was Wintu Traditional Territory as evidenced by descendancy of living people and named village sites occupied in the historical era along the rivers course. On the outskirts of one local mining town of Copper City, grew one of the most prosperous Wintu settlements of the post gold-rush era at Ydalpom. Also on Squaw Creek it existed as a Wintu Town until Shasta Dam when completed, Shasta Lake was formed and the town, like many others under its waters, was inundated in the early 1940's.

Bully Hill, Ca

The Gold Rush Toxic Legacy- Iron Mountain Mine

2008-01-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

Iron Mountain Mine- Keswick, Ca

Old wounds are hard to heal, and thus is the case at the Federal Superfund Site 15 miles North West of the city of Redding. Boasting 100,000 residents, it also boasts on of the most un-wanted monikers anywhere in the country. The 3rd most polluted place on the planet. Heavy metals like, zinc, copper, and worse one like sulphuric acid, were all mined at the site in the 19th century. the mine was not closed until 1962. Now constantly emitting toxic a "run-off" of heavy metals into the Sacramento River at Keswick Lake.

Keswick lake/ Dam is a federally operated reservoir below Shasta Dam built to operate for flow regulation control and supplemental hydroelectric power generation. Keswick dam was originally designed for fish passage, and included design for a fish ladder, the area on the east bank in the photo covered by boulders, the fish ladder plan was scrapped and the Dam was completed without it.

The Bureau of Reclamation, the federal branch, that purchased the land and water contracts to build the dams and currently operates them for irrigation and civic water supply. However the Wintu Allotee's holding land beneath the rising waters of lake shasta were never compensated with land or monetarily. Construction nearby fish hatcheries at Battle Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento river 25 miles south. And Coleman Nat'l fish hatchery was built, and the new Livingston Stone hatchery below shasta dam built to mitigate taking away the more that 150 miles of prime Chinook salmon and steel head spawning habitat that was destroyed in the 1940's with the construction of Shasta Dam.

Iron Mountain Mine was established in 1850 by James Salee an early Shasta County prospector, initially a rich placer gold district near the early day Boom Town of Shasta. The gold played out by the end of the 1850's however and it was the later utilization of hard rock mining and mechanized mining techniques that led to larger and deeper shafts and larger volumes of ore removed that earlier miners could not accomplish. Along with these new mines came miners, settlers, land speculators, newly established small mining towns, large mining companies, all displacing the Wintu of the area.

In the 1980's toxic flows from Iron Mountain Mine resulted in massive fish kills in the Sacramento River at Redding, the Chinook in the river at that time were, and still are, listed as a federally endangered species. A federally endangered species that is of cultural and spiritual value to the Wintu People of Shasta County.

Iron Mountain Mine Run-off Results in Sacramento River Fish Kill Below Keswick Dam

Wintu Resourses- Sacramento River Salmon estimated Excess of 17.3 million to Local Economies

2008-01-22T23:24:00.000-08:00

Birds Eye View Of Spill Way At Shasta Dam

Exploitation of Wintu Resources Continue Into the 21st Century

Sacramento River Salmon populations are already dwindling, stocks are kept above federal mandated levels just hovering above all out extinction on the water system, by outdated State and federal hatcheries poorly located on the rivers that have been harnessed for their combined irrigation, civic use, hydroelectric power, and flood control behind huge power dams in a system referred to as the Central Valley Project, or CVP.

CVP Map

Area tribes have sporadic harvesting rights or even represented interests in environmental issues surrounding the sacramento river, in large part as a result of a failure by the federal government to recognise several tribes along the Sacramento river, including the maidu, naisenan, southern wintun, and until 2000 the nomlakki. Without tribal governments or sustainable funding, interest to secure native rights and access to Wintu resources in the Shasta county area has historically been hindered, but hope of re-invigoration of traditional salmon harvesting activities has been undertaken by and individual wintu Indian on the Sacramento river.

The Wintu Tribe has always received salmon distributions from the federal hatchery in Anderson despite the ambiguity of our tribal status with the BIA. The salmon right retained is based on federal precedence that a full 50% of the Sacramento river run salmon are guaranteed to our tribe by an 1851 treaty signed at Cottonwood Creek on the rancho San Buenaventura.

The ongoing interest of wintu Indians and various tribes in the health and vitality of the Sacramento river salmon has in the historic past and will be in the future a major issue for the tribe to both pursue with state and federal agencies.

Redding Rancheria Announces Win River Casino Exspantion

2008-01-22T20:39:00.001-08:00

Redding Rancheria Announces Win-River Casino Expansion

Opened 19 years ago Redding Rancheria's Win-River casino in redding, ca is set to undergo a 90- million dollar expansion despite the fact that the neighboring Wintu Tribe by which they claim some decendancy, goes landless, ans without state regulated, and guaranteed, gaming revenue distribution to non-gaming tribes, as enacted by prop 1-A in 1990 when the rancheria was on of 50 tribes to first start gaming under lucrative gaming compacts with former state governor Pete Wilson. compacts that supposedly guaranteed landless and non-gaming tribes like the wintu would get at least some monetary contributions for self governance and self regulation.

the eight story 175 room hotel planned to be built by 2010 isnt even enough to house the homeless wintu Indians in the greater redding area. And this expansion is only five years after a 32 million dollar exspansion of the current casino that is being partially torn down because of land restraints. The redding rancheria lies on just 28 acres nest to the ACID canal in south redding on highway 273. The tribe is currently going thru the CEQA process to assure that they are not destroying the wintu tribe's archaeological sites the rancheria (composed of mostly pit river Indians from east of the redding area), the state of California has declared a wintu tribal member the Most Likely Descendant of the archaeological site under the redding Rancheria, as the site is "most likely of wintu origin" and the redding rancheria is not a prehistoric Indian group or tribe.

2000 slot machines to the Nomlakki's 773(Rolling Hills casino in Corning, Ca) machines. And a new hotel and event center to put them in competition withe the central wintun for Interstate 5 tourists that wonder where our tribes ever even came from.

When will voters, legislators and our own cousins stop turning a blind eye to the needs of their own people? Could establishing a housing community for the Wintu people really cost all that much. Certainly not 90 million dollars.

And Barbara Murphy, the best investment in life is on you future. The children, what legacy will you and Tracy Edwards leave for the next generation, what stigma's will you leave them as well?

El- Pom Keswick Rancheria

2008-01-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

El Pom Keswick Rancheria

One of several local native not-for profit organizations, the El-Pom Keswick Rancheria was a community group established by Wintu Indians in the rural community of Keswick 10 miles north west of Redding, Ca, on the banks of the Sacramento River. El-Pom gets its name from the traditional Wintu name for the entire Keswick area, which is recognised as being from present day Shasta Dam down stream to present day Redding, Ca. About 20 miles of the west bank of the Sacramento River and includes the surrounding Trinity Mountains.

The Wintu community group at El Pom was established by a single Wintu tribal member on donated land in the town of Keswick in 1998. Initially meant to foster Wintu traditional arts in the Shasta County area, El Pom has gone on to successfully appeal the State of California for Traditional Salmon Harvesting rights in the Keswick area for Wintu that are direct descendants from this bands villages.

2002-2008 For six years Wintu people from El Pom and other wintu tribes/bands have been exercising native rights to traditional methods of take on the Sacramento River and in 2004 the director of the Keswick Rancheira went on to petition the state again for traditoal methods of take on the Trinity River for the Nor Rel Muk Nation a Wintu Band from neighboring Trinity County. The use permit was unanimously approved by the state.

2003 News Story- El Pom Keswick Rancheria Regains Traditional Salmon Harvesting Redding, Ca

It is not known at this time the status of the Rancheria in relation to federal recognition, the rancheria is not listed on the secretary of interior's list for tribes applying for recognition thru BAR.

here'a a link to the tribes web site, with descriptions of other activities in habitat restoration, cultural resource protection, traditional stories, more salmon harvesting, and the like:

El Pom Keswick Rancheria Web Site

Sisk, WWO Denied Forest Service Permit To Land Use After Late Spiritual Leaders Death

2008-01-22T19:40:00.000-08:00

Caleen Sisk, sole leader of the new ago WWO not for profit org. tried in 2004 to attain a permit meant for the late Wintu Medicine Woman Flora Curl- Jones.

In the 1970's the late Flora Jones, Toyon Wintu Tribal member and elder committee member, received a special use permit from the united states forest service to utilise one acre of land wherever she travelled thru the Shasta trinity national forests for traditional wintu doctoring practices.

In 2003 shortly after Jones's death, Sisk tried unsuccessfully to get the forest service to give her the permit that was given to Flora Jones. The forest service of course said no, but caleen still claims that timber company and the Fed's still agreed to extend her rights on her website time line seen here:

Crazy Caleen's Crazy Timeline

Caleen has been critical of forest service forestry techniques on the McCloud Watershed when identifying obscure archaeological sites as reasons to limit forestry practices, and asked for the bureau of reclamation to change flows form Shasta dam, a huge water reservoir in the CVP, for a ceremony for her daughter and the individual group the WWO on the McCloud arm of Shasta lake. all of this of course took place without the prior knowledge to the wintu people or the wintu tribal council.

Also after trying and failing to not only have the WWO written into the new Wintu Tribe constitution in 2003, Sisk also tried, and failed, to take over stewardship of the former federal land at Toyon/ Wintu center for her own use as sole leader of the WWO (the not for profit winnemem wintu org.), an effort that was thwarted by wintu tribal members in the 2003 elections of the Wintu Tribe. The Wintu Tribe at that time voted out the ordinances recognising ms. Sisk and her link thru Ms. Linda Malone to the now defunct toyon-wintu board headed by the likewise fraudulent Curl- Malone Board for the last three decades.

Sisk continues to fraudulently represent to state and federal agencies the ongoing claim to former individual Indian land allotments beneath lake shasta that are both not wenamem wintu, nor ever under the control of her ancestors. The ancestry of the alottee's beneath the lake are both diverse and representative of the varied backgrounds implied by the intermarriage of wintu poeple from more than one wintu band throughout the proto-historical era.A fact as evidenced by the total extinction of several other northern wintu bands.

Wintu Tribe- No Land? So Whats Up With Win- River Casino in Redding, Ca Then?

2008-01-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

Win River Casino - Redding, California

Win River Casino opertated since 1990 by the Redding Rancheria a federally established rancheria consisting of the descendants of three shasta county tribes. Wintu, Pit River, Yana. The Rancheria was established by the BIA in 1922 along Clear Creek in south Redding For Homless Indians Living on the streets of Redding. These original inhabitants with the diverse lineage, ammounted to 17 individuals when the tribe was terminated by an act of the federal government (see wheeler-howard termination) in 1959.

The Redding Rancheria and its members were not recognised by the federal government (BIA) from 1959 until 1983 when a single Pomo woman took her case to the supreme court (Hardwick vs. Interior), where the judge ruled 18 small terminated rancheria's would be re-instated, and the modern rancheria's growth began.

Unfortunately the Redding Rancheria failed to assist the Wintu Tribe after beginning Win River casino bingo and has gone on to lucritive buisnesses and land aquisitions of Traditional Wintu Lands without comment, or inclusion of the Wintu Tribe. Buisnesses like the Redding rancheria Ecocomic development Corp. (RREDCO), A Hilton Hotel (built directly on a wintu village site in desreguard for wintu history or current religious pracititioners), and the new 90 million dollar Casino exspantion, millions in gaming revenue shared with the state of california, and still the Wintu Tribe remains landless, Toyon Closed, and the Wintu members without even adequate housing to meet the need of tribal members.

Win River Casino Grows, Wintu Tribe Still Homeless

Toyon Wintu Center 1971- 1987

2008-01-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

Toyon Wintu Center-

Toyon (Fromerly Gov't Camp) Wintu Center was a federally recognised reservation from 1971 until 1987 when the Wintu people there were forcefully removed by Shasta County Sheriffs and BIA federal officials. One week later our homes were razed to the ground by BIA bulldozers. The tribe's members remains landless and without community or housing to this day.

The land remains fenced off with BIA use aggreements with the tribal government. The Wintu People NEED HOUSING NOW! THE WINTU PEOPLE WANT A COMMUNITY AND LAND BASE AND WANT THE TRIBAL COUNCIL TO TAKE STEPS TO GET US THERE!!! - 2008

Toyon- Wintu Tribe (Now) Wintu Tribe of Northern California

2008-01-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

Toyon- Wintu Tribe (Now) .... Wintu Tribe of Northern California

The tribe rooted in so much turbulence, lands being taken by gold rush settlers, removed to reservations, some escaping to recieve sporadic land allotments later flooded by a Dept. of Interior Dam/ Shasta Lake....

never terminated, denied land guarenteed by an 1851 treaty for half of redding, and shasta county...

... later to take over the unused federal land at Government Camp, vacant federal barracks formerly used for workers building shasta dam in the 1930's, these buildings were occupied beggining in 1971 and was referred to as the Toyon- Wintu Center, and operated as a federal rezervation for the Wintu people of Shasta County from 1971 until 1987 when the people after a prolonged standoff that year with Shasta County sheriff's and BIA federal officials Toyon was vacated, and the last of the men were removed. A week later our homes for the last 16 years were leveled to the ground by BIA D-9 bulldozers.

1987 New York Times Article Toyon-Wintu Indians

Caleen Sisk's Camera Dance Fake Regalia? Misrepresentation of Wintu Songs, regailia, Wintu Culture

2008-01-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Dance at Shasta Dam

Sisk led her "people" to hold a dance in her effort to counter the NON-ISSUE of the raising of shasta dam.

Question remains as to her aquisition of the land, and regailia, belonging ot the late flora jones last spiritual leader recognised by the wintu people and/ or the wintu tribe.

On wintu member named this historic blatant misrepresentation of wintu culture The "Camera Dance" shorty after the dance itself. Reportedly because there were actually camera men and audio men shooting a documentaryof the event with Sisk and the WWO with boom microphones actually moving around in front of the witnu members that were there to view there alleged "ceremony".

She billed this event in the news as a "war dance". Click on the link to read earth first's story of the event.

Nor-Rel-Muk Nation The Trinity County Wintu

2008-01-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

A Nor-Rel-Muk Family Trinity River 1926

The Nor-rel-muk re-organized in 1984 with the other three original petitioners the Wintoon later became known as the Nor-Muk or Nor el muk and now known as the Nor-rel-muk Nation. Comprises the Wintu Indians of Trinity County. There are approximately 450 trinity wintu currently enrolled in the Nor Rel Muk nation. Their number #93 on the list thru BAR which puts their application back in 1984 filed just days ahead of the other bands who attended the meeting in Central Valley, at Toyon the former reservation in Summit City (a town adjecent to the current town of Shasta Lake City) and discussed at that months counil meeting where resolution was passed to apply thru the BAR process. Ray Patton Filed for the Nor el muk back on 1/5/84 and the tribe was located in hayfork valley then and still operates tribal offices there.

California indian legal; services has been assisting the wintu tribes in their quest for recogntion on a grant by grant basis thru tribal ANA grants. And the norelmuk have been working with the local historian dorthy therodoratus to work on their incomplete application for recognition.

The nor rel muk nation recieved a salmon haversting permit as a result of the action of an individual wintu indian from shasta county already salmon harvesting on the sacramento river since 2002. The activity was began to re-establish traditional ties of nor elmuk with the trinity river and its south fork. By continuing traditional methods of take on the rivers the tribes continue a long established connection to the river and its ecosystem and do today secure rights to the access and utilization of natural resourses within their tribal territory. And in doing so enhanmce the cultural vitality of the nor el muk, the quality of the habitat, and the awareness of non-indians to issues of wintu indians in shasta and trinity counties.

The natural bridge issue in rural trinity county where rock climbers and recreationalists inadvertantly and purposefully have abused a sacred wintu site, and the forest service continues to mis-manage the acheaological site where hundreds of wintu were massacred in thr 1850's.

Natural Bridge Massacre, Land Needs Managment

United Bands (Wintun, Wintu, Wintoo)

2008-01-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

United Bands was formulated as the Wintu of Shasta back in 1984 at the same time as the Central Valley Wintun . The Wintu of Shasta, number ninty seven (#97) on the list for recognition thru the dep't of the Interior's BAR process, or the Bureau of Acknowlegement and Recognition, which is the process by which non-federal tribes become federally recognised was began by Ms. Gloria Gomez currently a leader of the Board on United Bands Council.

It may take take decades for some tribes to go thru this proccess of federalization, for ours it has already been almost 25 years as of 2008.

The Wintu of Shasta along with four other tribal organizations reprsenting the northern wintu indians of shasta and trinity counties started this federal process back in 1983-1984 as a result of meetings with the Department of the Interior and the Regional Director of the BIA in Sacramento, Ca for the purposes of the Wintu not currently recognised at that time, to be inlcuded on the list, and the process. The other groups are public information and can be found at the following URL.

Wintu Tribes Currently Vying For Recogntion (bottom of page)

1) WINTUN of Cottonwood- Cottonwood, CA

2) Toyon Wintu Tribe (Now Wintu Tribe of Northern California), Gene malone, Project City, Redding, Ca

3) Wintu of Shasta- (now the United Bands, Wintu, Wintun, Wintoo) Gloria Gomez

4) Wintu of Central Valley- Central Valley, Ca (Now Shasta lake City)

(note the wenamem or WWO did not organize as a tribal group until circa 1998)

Wenamem Wintu Organization Fraud. IE- Caleen Sisk, Marc Franco, WWO, ect.

2008-01-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

Wenamem Wintu Organization Fraud. IE- Caleen Sisk, Marc Franco, WWO, ect.

This fraudulent group has no tribal government and has been trying since its inception to usurp the federal process for recogntion by which the other bands have been tied up in for almost 25 years. After sisk was removed for theft of tribal documents she started her own band but has yet to hold elections or answert to oversight by any tribal governing body, she claims sole political and spiritual leadership of this not for profit organization that she is tryiong to pass off as a traditional wintu band turned political entity, and it is a shame to the people she is lying to in Jones Valley, its a shame to the wintu people, the other wenemem descdedants, and a crime to the federal agencies to misreprsent the tribes interests unlateraly and without accountability or transparency.

Marc Franco the Exsposed Non- Apache, Wintu "Headman"

2008-01-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

Marc Franco Married Caleen Sisk (?) and now he's a Wintu Head Man? he claimed to be apache, which one tribal member on the enrollment comittee of the wintu tribe in en effort to identify the descent claimed by this man, prooved to be not of Apache Decent and is not enrolled in any of the four apache tribal governments contacted by the wintu tribe enrollment committee back in 2004.

He continues howeever to claim some kind of connection to the tribe thru the fraudulent band the wenamem (WWO) that is not connected with the wintu tribe of nor cal. Repeatedly using the title "wintu headman", a title of which has origins in non-indian/ euro-american history not at all in wintu refernce to leadership rolls.

despite this however sisk and franco have been up to this point been able to thunb their non-wintu noses at the wintu tribe and its ability to asure the integrity of the presentation of either our culture or the political entity of the wintu tribe to any non indian body or group, or government. And have in fact gone on to contribute much misinformation about the wintu people and current tribe, and so blatantly misrepresnted our culture which i will herein point out.

WWO Changed From "never will be recognised" to Vying For Ca State Support

2008-01-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Cal Assembly Resolution Urges Fed to Restore Recogntion to Wintu Band

Way back in august of 2007 Caleen was trying to get state support for her bid for singular recognition as a restored band of Wenamem Indians, despite the Wintu Tribe a s awhole having been on the list for active consideriation for the last 8 years and on the list of tribes thru BAR since for 25 years.

back in 2004 Caleen sisk told the Record Seachlight that she was seeking fedreal recognition as a Band of Shasta and later that she would never be a recognised group. She has claimed the 173 membership of the toyon wintu tribal roll yet has no governing body nor proof she was ever elected by an enrolled body of wintu indians, beacuse she runs no such oversite body. The WWO is ran be her and franco unilaterally with no member oversite or larger tribal oversite.

Sisk was removed from the toyon wintu roll back in 1998 after tried in Shasta County Court for stealing paperwork from the Toyon Wintu Tribe, and subsequently removed. Removal of tribal members are simply not limited to recongniosed tribes, nor are they limited to gaming tribes. As our tribe has unfortunately seen with the varied political shifts in establishments of some traditional bands after the unfortunate closure of our former land base at toyon 21 years ago in 1987.

Marc Franco & Caleen Sisk The Wenamem Wintu Organization (WWO) Fraud

2008-01-22T11:14:00.000-08:00

Caleen Sisk- Franco- Political & "Spiritual Leader" and heir Apperent to Flora Jones last Spirtual Leader of Wintu Tribe

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/01/california_asse_25.html

Here in this bay area news article (indy bay.com) Marc Franco a non enrolled Indian of any tribe, claiming to be apache, and masqurading as a Wintu "Headman" with his wife the fraudulent Caleen Sisk- Franco the impropmtu spritual leader of the Not-For Profit Wenamem Wintu Organization, also known as the WWO.