Indian colony
Encyclopedia
An Indian Colony is a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 settlement associated with an urban area. Although some of them become official Indian reservations, they differ from most reservations in that they are located where Native Americans could find employment in mainstream American economy. Many were originally formed without federal encouragement or sanction.

Locations and establishment

Indian colonies are especially common in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

. As the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...

 ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....

 is very fragile, native lifeways became untenable soon after white settlement due to livestock over-grazing, water diversions and the felling of Pinyon pine
Pinyon pine
The pinyon pine group grows in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. The trees yield edible pinyon nuts, which were a staple of the Native Americans, and are still widely eaten...

 groves. At that time there were few official reservations in the area, and those were terribly run even by contemporary standards. Many Native Americans chose instead to seek jobs in white ranches, farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...

s and cities. The areas in which they settled became known as Indian Camps or Colonies. In some cases they owned the land they settled on, in other cases they settled on public land. Starting in the early twentieth century, the federal government began establishing Indian trust territories for the colonies on public land.

Following the Indian Reorganization Act
Indian Reorganization Act
The Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 the Indian New Deal, was U.S. federal legislation that secured certain rights to Native Americans, including Alaska Natives...

 of 1934, many of the Indian colonies gained federal recognition as tribes. Many of the tribes formed this way are unusual in that they include members from different nations. For example, the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony
Reno-Sparks Indian Colony
The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony is an urban Native American Tribe whose members have Washoe, Paiute and Shoshone heritage. The Tribe has a colony in central Reno, Nevada and a reservation in Hungry Valley, which is about 17 miles north of Reno....

 has members with Washoe, Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...

 and Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....

 heritage.

Examples

The following is an incomplete list of Indian Colonies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

:
  • Battle Mountain, Nevada
    Battle Mountain, Nevada
    Battle Mountain is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lander County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,871 at the 2000 census. Though it has no legal status as a municipality, it still functions as the county seat of Lander County...

     - Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada
    Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada
    The Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada is a federally recognized tribe of Western Shoshone Indians in northeastern Nevada.-History:The tribe organized under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act...

    , Battle Mountain Band
  • Burns, Oregon
    Burns, Oregon
    Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...

     - Burns Paiute Indian Colony
  • Bridgeport, California
    Bridgeport, California
    Bridgeport is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Mono County, California. It lies at an elevation of 6463 feet in the middle of the Bridgeport Valley. Bridgeport is located at the intersection of highways US 395 and State Route 182. The population was 575 at the 2010...

     - Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California
    Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California
    The Bridgeport Paiute Indian Colony of California is a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute Indians in Mono County, California.-Reservation:...

  • Carson City, Nevada
    Carson City, Nevada
    The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...

     - Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
    Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
    The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California are a federally recognized tribe of Washoe Indians, living in California and Nevada. They are several communities south and east of Lake Tahoe united under a tribal council...

    , Carson Community Council
  • Dresslerville, Nevada - Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
    Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
    The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California are a federally recognized tribe of Washoe Indians, living in California and Nevada. They are several communities south and east of Lake Tahoe united under a tribal council...

    , Dresslerville Council
  • Elko, Nevada
    Elko, Nevada
    Elko is a city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Elko County. The city straddles the Humboldt River....

     - Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada
    Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada
    The Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada is a federally recognized tribe of Western Shoshone Indians in northeastern Nevada.-History:The tribe organized under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act...

    , Elko Band
  • Ely, Nevada
    Ely, Nevada
    Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906...

     - Ely Shoshone Tribe of Nevada
  • Fallon, Nevada
    Fallon, Nevada
    -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...

     - Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony
    Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony
    The Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of the Fallon Reservation and Colony is a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone Indians in Churchill County, Nevada. Their autonym is Toi Ticutta meaning "Cattail Eaters."-Reservation:...

  • Las Vegas, Nevada
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...

     - Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony
    Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony
    The Las Vegas Tribe of Paiute Indians of the Las Vegas Indian Colony is a federally recognized tribe of Southern Paiute Indians in southern Nevada.-Reservation:...

  • Lovelock, Nevada
    Lovelock, Nevada
    Lovelock is a city in western Nevada that is the county seat of Pershing County, the location of a prison, and the namesake of the area's Cold War gunnery range...

     - Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony
    Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony
    The Lovelock Paiute Tribe of the Lovelock Indian Colony is a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute Indians in Pershing County, Nevada.-Reservation:...

  • Reno, Nevada
    Reno, Nevada
    Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...

     - Reno-Sparks Indian Colony
    Reno-Sparks Indian Colony
    The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony is an urban Native American Tribe whose members have Washoe, Paiute and Shoshone heritage. The Tribe has a colony in central Reno, Nevada and a reservation in Hungry Valley, which is about 17 miles north of Reno....

  • Carson City, Nevada
    Carson City, Nevada
    The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...

     - Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
    Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
    The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California are a federally recognized tribe of Washoe Indians, living in California and Nevada. They are several communities south and east of Lake Tahoe united under a tribal council...

    , Stewart Community Council
  • Wells, Nevada
    Wells, Nevada
    Wells is a city in Elko County, in northeast Nevada in the western United States. The population was 1,346 at the 2000 census. Wells is located at the junction of U.S. Route 93 and Interstate 80, approximately east of Elko and is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:The site...

     - Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada
    Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada
    The Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada is a federally recognized tribe of Western Shoshone Indians in northeastern Nevada.-History:The tribe organized under the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act...

    , Wells Band
  • Winnemucca, Nevada
    Winnemucca, Nevada
    -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...

     - Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada
    Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada
    The Winnemucca Indian Colony of Nevada is a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone Indians in western Nevada.-Reservation:...

  • Woodfords, California
    Woodfords, California
    Woodfords is an unincorporated community in Alpine County, California, near Markleeville. For census purposes, it is included in Alpine Village...

     - Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
    Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California
    The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California are a federally recognized tribe of Washoe Indians, living in California and Nevada. They are several communities south and east of Lake Tahoe united under a tribal council...

    , Woodfords Community Council
  • Yerington, Nevada
    Yerington, Nevada
    Yerington is a city in Lyon County, located in western Nevada, USA. The population was 2,883 at the 2000 census. It is named after Henry M. Yerington, Superintendent of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad from 1868 to 1910. It is the county seat of Lyon County....

     - Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony and Campbell Ranch
    Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony and Campbell Ranch
    The Yerington Paiute Tribe of the Yerington Colony and Campbell Ranch is a federally recognized tribe of Northern Paiute Indians in western Nevada.-Reservation:...


See also

  • Indian reservation
    Indian reservation
    An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...

  • Indian reserve
    Indian reserve
    In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...

    , Canada
  • 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...

  • Rancherie
    Rancherie
    A Rancherie is a First Nations residential area of an Indian Reserve in colloquial English throughout the Canadian province of British Columbia...

    , Canada
  • Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area
    Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area
    Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Area is a statistical entity identified and delineated by federally recognized American Indian tribes in Oklahoma that formerly had a reservation but do not now have a reservation in that state . Often, an OTSA will be that of the former Indian Reservation in Oklahoma...

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