United Auburn Indian Community
Encyclopedia
The United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC) is a Native American tribe consisting mostly of Miwok
and Maidu
Indians indigenous to the Sacramento Valley
region. The historic Auburn Rancheria is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Auburn, California
.
This territory offered UAIC ancestors abundant year-round food sources. Food gathering was based on seasonal ripening, but hunting
, gathering
and fishing
went on all year, with the greatest activity in late summer and early fall.
Seasonal harvests were both communal and personal property and much activity and social behavior centered on them. Status, sharing, trading, ceremonies and disagreements were important adjuncts to the gathering and distribution of food. Grasses, herbs, and rushes provided food and material for clothing and baskets. Seeds were gathered by the use of a seed beater and tray. They were then parched, steamed, dried, cooked into a mush or dried for storage.
Bear hunts were ceremonial. Black bears
were usually hunted in winter, where lighted poles were used to drive them from their dens. Grizzlies
that lived on the valley floor were greatly feared and rarely hunted.
The social-political organization of the Auburn Band was headed by a chief
, who saw to the welfare of his people by restraining them from trespassing, arbitrating disputes and serving as official host at ceremonial gatherings. The division of labor was such that men hunted and fished, built houses and made weapons and traps and performed ceremonies. Women gathered plant food, prepared and cooked all food, prepared animal hides and made clothing, baskets and cared for the young. Children were separated by sex and trained in their respective roles at the age of eight.
The historic existence of the Auburn Indian Community is documented in the Bureau of Indian Affairs
' correspondence dating back to the early 1900s. In 1917, the United States
government purchased 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of land near Auburn, California, that was put in trust for the Auburn Band and formally established a reservation, known as the Auburn Rancheria.
However, with the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act
(“IRA”), 25 U.S.C. § 671 et seq., in 1934, a dramatic shift in Federal Indian policy occurred, whereby Congress moved away from assimilationist Indian policies towards policies of self-governance. The governmental structure allowed by the IRA placed the Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA) in charge of elections among Indian tribes to allow each tribe to accept or reject the tribal reorganization provisions of the IRA. In 1935, the 36 adult members of the Auburn Band voted 16 to 5 to reject the IRA.
The United States Congress
enacted the Rancheria Act in 1953, which terminated federal trust responsibilities to the Auburn Band, among many other California Indian tribes. Only a 2.8 acres (11,331.2 m²) parcel of land with a park and a church and park remained after the government sold the Auburn Rancheria land. In 1967, the United States terminated their recognition of the Auburn Band.
President Richard Nixon ended termination policy in 1970. In 1978, during the 100th United States Congress
, both the United States Senate
and House of Representatives
created a new federal Indian policy based on Native American self-determination
.
On July 20, 1991, descendants of the historic Auburn Band reorganized their tribal government and adopted the Constitution of the United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC), which they presented to the BIA on August 30, 1991 with a request that the Bureau “formally recognize the United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria.” An Act of Congress passed the Auburn Indian Restoration Act, which restored the Tribe's federal recognition in 1994. A provision in the act permits the tribe to purchase lands in Placer County to create a new reservation.
Following a federal appeals decision in September 2002, the U.S. Department of the Interior took into trust the 49 acres (198,296.1 m²) parcel of property that the Thunder Valley Casino is built on today.
UAIC has also established its own Education Department as a means to provide tribal members with educational programs, activities and services and maintains an Environmental Protection Office to address tribal environmental issues. UAIC established its own tribal school in 2008.
in Lincoln, California
, located near the northwest corner of Athens and Industrial Avenues, in the Sunset Industrial Area of unincorporated Placer County. The 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) facility, which opened in June 2003, offers a variety of entertainment including slot machines, video gaming, and various table games. Guests can also dine in an array of restaurants and bars.
UAIC entered into a Tribal-State Gaming Compact with the State of California in September 1999 in order to conduct Class III gaming on trust land. This Compact was later successfully renegotiated with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
in 2004.
In an unprecedented approach, the UAIC worked closely with Placer County, neighboring cities, and citizens that resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding to mitigate any potential impacts of the proposed development.
The Tribe's Thunder Valley Casino Resort opened in June 2003 and continues to draw unprecedented crowds.
In 2010, Thunder Valley Casino Resort was named Best Regional Casino in Sacramento Magazine's "Best Of" issue, beating out competitor casinos Red Hawk Casino and Jackson Rancheria Casino and Hotel.
Miwok
Miwok can refer to any one of four linguistically related groups of Native Americans, native to Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family...
and Maidu
Maidu
The Maidu are a group of Native Americans who live in Northern California. They reside in the central Sierra Nevada, in the drainage area of the Feather and American Rivers...
Indians indigenous to the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
region. The historic Auburn Rancheria is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Auburn, California
Auburn, California
Auburn is the county seat of Placer County, California. Its population at the 2010 census was 13,330. Auburn is known for its California Gold Rush history.Auburn is part of the Greater Sacramento area.- History :...
.
The tribe
Total tribal membership of UAIC is approximately 170, with 52 members residing on the Auburn Rancheria. The Tribe is governed by its tribal council, which consists of the chairperson, vice-chairperson, treasurer, secretary and council member at large. (2)History
The UAIC is the successor to the Auburn Band, largely Maidu and Miwok Indians. These indigenous communities of California Indians resided near Auburn, California and survived the depredations of the 19th century as one cohesive band.This territory offered UAIC ancestors abundant year-round food sources. Food gathering was based on seasonal ripening, but hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, gathering
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
went on all year, with the greatest activity in late summer and early fall.
Seasonal harvests were both communal and personal property and much activity and social behavior centered on them. Status, sharing, trading, ceremonies and disagreements were important adjuncts to the gathering and distribution of food. Grasses, herbs, and rushes provided food and material for clothing and baskets. Seeds were gathered by the use of a seed beater and tray. They were then parched, steamed, dried, cooked into a mush or dried for storage.
Bear hunts were ceremonial. Black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
were usually hunted in winter, where lighted poles were used to drive them from their dens. Grizzlies
Grizzlies
Grizzlies may refer to:*Grizzly bear, a powerful bear that lives in the uplands of western North America*Memphis Grizzlies , a basketball team of the National Basketball Association...
that lived on the valley floor were greatly feared and rarely hunted.
The social-political organization of the Auburn Band was headed by a chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
, who saw to the welfare of his people by restraining them from trespassing, arbitrating disputes and serving as official host at ceremonial gatherings. The division of labor was such that men hunted and fished, built houses and made weapons and traps and performed ceremonies. Women gathered plant food, prepared and cooked all food, prepared animal hides and made clothing, baskets and cared for the young. Children were separated by sex and trained in their respective roles at the age of eight.
The historic existence of the Auburn Indian Community is documented in the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
' correspondence dating back to the early 1900s. In 1917, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government purchased 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of land near Auburn, California, that was put in trust for the Auburn Band and formally established a reservation, known as the Auburn Rancheria.
However, with the passage of 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...
(“IRA”), 25 U.S.C. § 671 et seq., in 1934, a dramatic shift in Federal Indian policy occurred, whereby Congress moved away from assimilationist Indian policies towards policies of self-governance. The governmental structure allowed by the IRA placed the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
(BIA) in charge of elections among Indian tribes to allow each tribe to accept or reject the tribal reorganization provisions of the IRA. In 1935, the 36 adult members of the Auburn Band voted 16 to 5 to reject the IRA.
The United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
enacted the Rancheria Act in 1953, which terminated federal trust responsibilities to the Auburn Band, among many other California Indian tribes. Only a 2.8 acres (11,331.2 m²) parcel of land with a park and a church and park remained after the government sold the Auburn Rancheria land. In 1967, the United States terminated their recognition of the Auburn Band.
President Richard Nixon ended termination policy in 1970. In 1978, during the 100th United States Congress
100th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President: George H.W. Bush * President pro tempore: John Stennis - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader, Democratic Conference Chairman, and Democratic Policy Committee Chairman: Robert Byrd...
, both the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
created a new federal Indian policy based on Native American self-determination
Native American self-determination
Native American self-determination refers to the social movements, legislation, and beliefs by which the tribes in the United States exercise self-governance and decision making on issues that affect their own people...
.
On July 20, 1991, descendants of the historic Auburn Band reorganized their tribal government and adopted the Constitution of the United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC), which they presented to the BIA on August 30, 1991 with a request that the Bureau “formally recognize the United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria.” An Act of Congress passed the Auburn Indian Restoration Act, which restored the Tribe's federal recognition in 1994. A provision in the act permits the tribe to purchase lands in Placer County to create a new reservation.
Following a federal appeals decision in September 2002, the U.S. Department of the Interior took into trust the 49 acres (198,296.1 m²) parcel of property that the Thunder Valley Casino is built on today.
Programs
The UAIC Community Giving Program, a philanthropic branch of tribal government established by the Tribe in March 2004, has provided over $4.6 million USD to nonprofit organizations supporting needs in education, health, arts and humanities, environment, community development and social services.UAIC has also established its own Education Department as a means to provide tribal members with educational programs, activities and services and maintains an Environmental Protection Office to address tribal environmental issues. UAIC established its own tribal school in 2008.
Thunder Valley Casino Resort
The Tribe owns the Thunder Valley Casino ResortThunder Valley Casino Resort
Thunder Valley Casino Resort is a AAA Four Diamond award-winning casino and resort located in the unincorporated Lincoln, California, 30 miles east of Sacramento...
in Lincoln, California
Lincoln, California
Lincoln is a city in Placer County, California, United States located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. The population was 42,819 at the 2010 census, with a growth rate of 282.1 percent since 2000 , making it the fastest growing city in the U.S...
, located near the northwest corner of Athens and Industrial Avenues, in the Sunset Industrial Area of unincorporated Placer County. The 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) facility, which opened in June 2003, offers a variety of entertainment including slot machines, video gaming, and various table games. Guests can also dine in an array of restaurants and bars.
UAIC entered into a Tribal-State Gaming Compact with the State of California in September 1999 in order to conduct Class III gaming on trust land. This Compact was later successfully renegotiated with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
in 2004.
In an unprecedented approach, the UAIC worked closely with Placer County, neighboring cities, and citizens that resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding to mitigate any potential impacts of the proposed development.
The Tribe's Thunder Valley Casino Resort opened in June 2003 and continues to draw unprecedented crowds.
In 2010, Thunder Valley Casino Resort was named Best Regional Casino in Sacramento Magazine's "Best Of" issue, beating out competitor casinos Red Hawk Casino and Jackson Rancheria Casino and Hotel.