 The tribe's Bear River Casino in Loleta, California | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 550 enrolled members [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( California) | |
| Languages | |
| English, historically Mattole and Wiyot | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Mattole and Wiyot people [2] |
The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria is a federally recognized tribe of Mattole, Bear River and Wiyot people in Humboldt County, California. [3]
The Bear River Band is headquartered in Loleta, California. [2] Tribal enrollment is based on residency on the Rohnerville Rancheria from 1910 to 1960 or being a lineal descent of those residents. [4]
The Rohnerville Rancheria is a federally recognized ranchería located in two separate parts. One ( 40°34′49″N124°07′21″W / 40.58028°N 124.12250°W ) is at the eastern edge of Fortuna, and the other ( 40°37′53″N124°12′11″W / 40.63139°N 124.20306°W ) to the southeast of Loleta, both in Humboldt County. As of the 2010 Census the population was 38. [5]
The tribe's traditional territory was along the Mattole and Bear Rivers near Cape Mendocino. Wiyot people lived along the Little River down to the Bear River and 25 miles (40 km) eastward. [3] : 154 The Mattole villages of Tcalko', Chilsheck, Selsche'ech, Tlanko, Estakana, and Sehtla were located along Bear River. [2]
The Bear River Band owns and operates several entities including Bear River Casino Resort, River's Edge Restaurant, the Thirsty Bear Lounge, Bear River Recreation Center, and Bear River Tobacco Traders all located in Loleta, California. [6] The new Bear River Family Entertainment Center that includes a 10 lane bowling alley, arcade, and laser tag and tournament baseball field open to the public, located next to the Bear River Recreation Center.
Mattole people differ from neighboring tribes because men traditionally tattooed their faces, instead of just women. Mattole spoke the Mattole language, an Athapaskan language, [2] while Wiyots spoke the Wiyot language, an Algonquian language. [7]
Hupa are a Native American people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group in northwestern California. Their endonym is Natinixwe, also spelled Natinook-wa, meaning "People of the Place Where the Trails Return". The Karuk name was Kishákeevar / Kishakeevra. The majority of the tribe is enrolled in the federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe.
The Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Miwok people in Tuolumne County, California. The Tuolumne Band are central Sierra Miwok people. Annually, in September, the tribe holds an acorn festival and intertribal gathering.
The Cahto are an indigenous Californian group of Native Americans. Today most descendants are enrolled as the federally recognized tribe, the Cahto Indian Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria, and a small group of Cahto are enrolled in the Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley Reservation.
The Mattole, including the Bear River Indians, are a group of Native Americans in California. Their traditional lands are along the Mattole and Bear Rivers near Cape Mendocino in Humboldt County, California. A notable difference between the Mattole and other indigenous peoples of California is that the men traditionally had facial tattoos, while other local groups traditionally restricted facial tattooing to women.
The Wiyot are an indigenous people of California living near Humboldt Bay, California and a small surrounding area. They are culturally similar to the Yurok people. They called themselves simply Ku'wil, meaning "the People". Today, there are approximately 450 Wiyot people. They are enrolled in several federally recognized tribes, such as the Wiyot Tribe, Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, Blue Lake Rancheria, and the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria.
Loleta is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California. Loleta is located 5.5 miles (9 km) south of Fields Landing, and 15 miles (24 km) south of Eureka at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). The population was 783 at the 2010 census. Residents live in a central community area and rural outskirts. There are two separate Native American reservations on the rural outskirts of Table Bluff, California.
Table Bluff is a semi-flat terrace in Humboldt County, California, that terminates above the ocean in a dramatic, 165-foot (50 m) high cliff with views of the Eel River delta, the South Spit of Humboldt Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. It separates Humboldt Bay to the north from the Eel River to the south. It overlooks approximately 9,000 acres (36 km²) of wildlands administered by various federal and county agencies. It is 12 miles (19 km) south of Eureka and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) west of US Highway 101. Table Bluff County Park provides access to the South Spit. The park is also used as a hang-gliding and paragliding staging area. The federally endangered western lily, Lilium occidentale, is found growing on Table Bluff at Table Bluff Ecological Reserve.
The Big Lagoon Rancheria is a federally recognized tribe of Yurok and Tolowa Indians. They are located in Humboldt County, California, and their tribal headquarters is in Arcata, California.
The Blue Lake Rancheria of the Wiyot, Yurok, and Hupa Indians is located northwest of the city of Blue Lake in Humboldt County, California on approximately 76 acres (0.31 km2). As of 2007, there were 53 enrolled members. As of the 2010 Census the population of Blue Lake Rancheria was 58.
The Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria, formerly named the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester-Point Arena Rancheria, is a federally recognized tribe of Pomo Indians in California. The tribe is a community of Pomo Native Americans who are native to Northern California. The Bokeya society are enrolled in the Manchester Band of Pomo with the approval of their constitution and by-laws in 1936.
Table Bluff is a locality in Humboldt County, California. It is located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Fields Landing, at an elevation of 318 feet (97 m).
The XL Ranch is an Indian reservation located in Modoc County, north of Burney, California.
Bald Hills War (1858–1864) was a war fought by the forces of the California Militia, California Volunteers and soldiers of the U.S. Army against the Chilula, Lassik, Hupa, Mattole, Nongatl, Sinkyone, Tsnungwe, Wailaki, Whilkut and Wiyot Native American peoples.
The Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, previously known as Smith River Rancheria, is a federally recognized tribe of Tolowa people in Del Norte County, California. They are Athabascan people, distantly related to northern Athabascans of eastern Alaska and western Canada, as well as the Apache and Navajo peoples of the American Southwest.
The Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria is a federally recognized tribe with members who are descendants of Chetco, Hupa, Karuk, Tolowa, Wiyot, and Yurok people in Humboldt County, California. As of the 2010 Census the population was 132.
The Wiyot Tribe is a federally recognized tribe of Wiyot people. They are the aboriginal people of Humboldt Bay, Mad River and lower Eel River of California.
40°34′49″N124°07′22″W / 40.580198°N 124.122652°W
