Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria explained

Population:800+ actively enrolled Members,
Estimated at 1300[1]
Popplace:Manchester-Point Arena, Northern California, United States.
Langs:English, Central Pomo languages (Hokan phylum)[2]
Related:Pomo tribes

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.[3]

The Rancheria

The tribe's reservation is split into Manchester and Point Arena lands. The coordinates for Manchester Point Arena community: 38°56'11.4"N 123°40'58.5"W[4] The Bokeya was the largest Pomo tribelet in terms of territorial area.[3] Formerly, a bridge connected these tribal lands. Point Arena[5] in Mendocino County, California. Now, the size of the rancheria is 364acres.[5]

Government

The Bokeya residential unit was headed by kin-group chief, and the position was passed on through a hereditary lineage. Ceremonial chiefs held more authority than the kin-group chiefs. In the aftermath of Bokeya congregation during the rancheria period (1900–1935), there weren't fixed leaders. However, toward the end of this period, a system of voting was introduced for the selection of leaders.[3] The Bokeya voted to accept the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act (IRA).[3] The Bokeya framed a constitution, by-laws, and coroprate charter, which was approved in 1936.[3] They formed a Community Council to assume the official roles, and also formed a Business Committee to operate the ranch as a chartered corporation.[3] The officers are elected once a year via democratic process.[3]

Structure of Current Community Council

Constitution

They are one of the few Native American bands who have a written Constitution that is available for the public. After the ratification of Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) in 1934, the Bokeya framed the Constitution and By-Laws.[8] This document provided them jurisdiction over rancheria land as it was written to establish a legal rancheria organization and secure certain privileges and powers offered to the Indians by the IRA.[8] The document has five articles:

Corporate charter

For a proposal to be ratified, it requires a majority vote of the adult Indians living on the Rancheria at an election in which at least 30 percent of the eligible voters vote.[9]

Language

The Central Pomo are culturally identified as a Pomo dialect group. The language is under Hokan family. In pre-contact times, the Pomoan languages together probably had around 8000 speakers (Kroeber 1925). Today, there are several speakers of Central Pomo (Golla 2011).[10]

Economy, culture, and religion

Since they are part of larger Pomo people, their cultural practices are similar to that of the larger band they are part of. Each Bokeya kin-group had a men's assembly house where "ghost ceremonies" were performed. These ceremonies were associated with their "secret society" and the intent was social integration. Professions such as hunting, fishing, and healing were considered prestigious. Shamans were responsible for driving away individual sickness, and sickness of the community as a whole. They were self-sufficient from the resources from the ocean, rivers, and the forests. They strongly followed a protocol of utilizing the resources, and were sensitive to external people using their resources. They did not completely oppose the idea of sharing resources, but they were strict about following a proper protocol. They had a proper system of exchange and trade. When they had superabundance, feasts were organized among the trade allies.[3] They heavily believed in the "dreamers" and their dreams that decided religion and ceremonies. The ceremonies were conducted in the dance house. The dream songs were used to suck illness out of the individuals and the society.[3]

Post-contact, Bokeya earned living by partially following traditional methods, and partially by participation in the settlers' way of living. They cultivated lands, grew crops to sell, charged fees on people going to rancheria to fish, and also by working in the logging industries and road work. Post IRA, they obtained a loan of $5000 to start ranch. Due to internal and external conflicts, the ranch failed and was unable to pay the workers.[3] After the failure of the ranch, they returned to their rancheria status. However, they still practiced certain "ceremonial festivities and curing practices".[3]

.[11]

Court cases

Manchester Band of Pomo Indians vs united States.[12] The Manchester Band of Pomo Indians filed a class action lawsuit against the "United States of America and certain officers of the Interior and Treasury Departments" on November 18, 1968, for improper handling of tribal funds. After unsuccessful efforts to convene a three-judge court, the case was reassigned in early 1972. Finally, after the defendants' failure to comply with the Court's order, the Court established the charges against the defendants to be true.

Casino

The tribal-State gaming compact was signed on 8 October 1999. There is a gaming agency that overlooks the legal aspects of the casino.[13]

This tribe has its own casino. The Garcia River Casino is located on the Point Arena Rancheria. The casino is small and does not have table games except for a black jack table which has an electronic host. The most games are Slots 1c-$.[14]

Healthcare

Healthcare to the tribe is provided by a satellite clinic of the Sonoma County Indian Health Project.[15] [16]

In addition to the health services, the program provides education on prevention of injuries, HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, and suicide.

The Mission: "To continually improve and maintain a comprehensive healthcare system to serve the needs and traditional values of our American Indian Community."[17]

External links

38.9356°N -123.6825°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: California Indians and Their Reservations . San Diego State University Library and Information Access. . 26 Feb 2009.
  2. Book: Golla. Victor. CALIFORNIA INDIAN LANGUAGES. 2011. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS. Berkeley. 978-0-520-26667-4. 105–109.
  3. http://www.fortross.org/lib/87/cultural-and-social-change-among-the-coast-central-pomo.pdf
  4. Web site: 38°56'11.4"N 123°40'58.5"W · 24 Mamie Laiwa Rd, Point Arena, CA 95468. 38°56'11.4"N 123°40'58.5"W · 24 Mamie Laiwa Rd, Point Arena, CA 95468.
  5. http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/calindians/calinddictmp.shtml#m California Indians and Their Reservations.
  6. http://www.abc.ca.gov/datport/LQSdata.asp?ID=56226249
  7. Web site: Archived copy . 2017-03-12 . 2017-01-31 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170131050856/https://www.bia.gov/cs/groups/xraca/documents/text/idc1-028718.pdf . dead .
  8. Web site: Archived copy . . 2017-03-12 . 2017-02-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170211134757/https://www.loc.gov/law/help/american-indian-consts/PDF/36026443.pdf . dead .
  9. Web site: Corporate Charter of the Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester Rancheria California. February 27, 1937. United States Department of the Interior Office of Indian Affairs. 12 March 2017.
  10. Web site: Account Suspended. www.californiaprehistory.com.
  11. Web site: What is a Native American Pow Wow? - PowWows.com. December 27, 2016. www.powwows.com.
  12. News: Manchester Band of Pomo Indians, Inc. v. United States, 363 F. Supp. 1238 (N.D. Cal. 1973). Justia Law.
  13. Web site: Tribal-State compact.
  14. Web site: Garcia River Casino | Casino Fun on the Medicino Coast. Garcia River Casino.
  15. Web site: Sonoma County Indian Health Project.. https://web.archive.org/web/20090101170742/http://crihb.org/Sonoma.htm. dead. January 1, 2009.
  16. Web site: Home. California Rural Indian Health Board.
  17. Web site: Sonoma County Indian Health Project. Sonoma County Indian Health Project (SCIHP).

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