The Grindstone Indian Rancheria of Wintun-Wailaki Indians is a federally recognized tribe and ranchería

Ranchería

The Spanish word ranchería, or rancherío, refers to a small, rural settlement. In the Americas the term was applied to native villages and to the workers' quarters of a ranch. English adopted the term with both these meanings, usually to designate the residential area of a rancho in the American...

 of Wintun

Wintun

Wintun is the name generally given to a group of related Native American tribes who live in Northern California, including the Wintu , Nomlaki , and Patwin tribes. Their range is from approximately present-day Lake Shasta to San Francisco Bay, along the western side of the Sacramento River to the...

 and Wailaki Indians from northern California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.

Reservation

The tribe's reservation is the Grindstone Rancheria, located in Glenn County, California

Glenn County, California

Glenn County is in the California Central Valley. As of 2010, it had a population of 28,122. The county seat is the city of Willows.-History:Glenn County was formed in 1891 from parts of Colusa County. It was named for Dr. Hugh J...

. It was founded in 1907 and is 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) large. Approximately 98 of the tribe's 162 members live on the reservation.

Government

The Grindstone Indian Rancheria is governed by a democratically elected tribal council. They are headquartered in Elk Creek, California

Elk Creek, California

Elk Creek is a census-designated place in Glenn County, California. It is located northwest of Willows, at an elevation of 745 feet .The 2010 census reported that Elk Creek's population was 163. It is home to the smallest public high school in California, which has an enrollment of about 35...

, and their current tribal chairperson is Ronald Kirk.

Language

Traditionally, the members of tribe spoke the Wailaki language

Wailaki language

Wailaki is an extinct Athabaskan language .-References:*Goddard, Pliny. Wailaki Texts. International Journal of American Linguistics, Vol. 2, No. 3/4 , pp. 77–135...

 or the Wintun

Wintu language

Wintu is an endangered Wintuan language spoken by the Wintu people of Northern California.Wintu is the northernmost member of the Wintun family of languages....

, a Wintuan language

Wintuan languages

Wintuan is a family of languages spoken in the Sacramento Valley of central Northern California.All Wintuan languages are severely endangered.-Family division:...

 of the Penutian language family, but the former is extinct and the latter has few speakers.