Miwok People

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Tribal Headquarters

California Valley Miwok Tribe
14807 Avenida Central
La Grange, CA 95329
Phone: 209-931-4567
Website

History

The Miwok Indians reside in north-central California, from the coast to the west slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There are three divisions of the tribe -- the Coast Miwok, the Lake Miwok, and the Sierra Miwok. Traditionally, the Coast Miwok lived along the Pacific Coast, from approximately today's Sausalito to Duncan's Point; the Lake Miwok, east and south of Clear Lake north of Santa Rosa; and the Sierra Miwok to the east to the western slope of the Sierras.

Brief Timeline

1579: Encountered by Sir Francis Drake

1821: Mexico Independence from Spain

1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1849: Gold Rush

Additional References to the History of the Tribe

Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Miwok tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.

Reservations

There are several small groups or bands of the Miwok Tribe in California. Many of those bands have their own reservation or rancheria. See the section on this page for a list of those which have been thus far identified.

Bands of the Miwok Tribe and Their Reservations

Coast Miwok

Now called the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

Lake Miwok

Middletown Rancheria

Sierra Mewuk

Buena Vista Rancheria

California Valley Miwok Tribe -- new name for Sheep Ranch Rancheria

Chicken Ranch Rancheria

Jackson Rancheria

Sheep Ranch Rancheria

Shingle Springs Rancheria

Tuolumne Rancheria

Others

Auburn Band of Maidu and Miwok Indians -- Auburn Rancheria (now known as the United Auburn Indian Community)

Ione Band, population - 8

Records

The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:

Important Websites

Constitution of the Me-Wuk Indians
Miwok Indians Wikipedia
Short history of the Southern Miwok Tribe of Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Online Library -- Links to several sources regarding the Ahwahneechee, or Indian people of the Yosemite Valley

References

Bibliography

California Indians and Their Reservations: An Online Dictionary. Available online.
Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives; Record Group 75, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Hodge, Frederick Webb. Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1906 Available online.
Klein, Barry T., ed. Reference Encyclopedia of the American Indian. Nyack, New York: Todd Publications, 2009. 10th ed. WorldCat 317923332; FS Catalog book 970.1 R259e.
Kroeber, Alfred L. Handbook of the Indians of California. Washington D.C.:Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology, Bulletin 78, 1925. Reprint. New York City: Dover Publications, [ca 2006] WorldCat 255854981 Available online.