The federally recognized Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California have always lived in California. During the years after the Gold Rush (1849) anthropologists visited the land of the Chukchansi. They grouped California Tribes together by their languages; hence, the Chukchansi are grouped with approximately 60 other Tribes in the greater Central Valley.
These people were referred to by early researchers as “Yokuts”, meaning “people”. However, there is no Yokut Tribe, and each Tribe had its own name and its own traditional use areas.
Official Tribal Name: Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California
Address: 46575 Road 417, Coarsegold, CA 93614
Phone: (559) 683-6633
Fax:
Email:
Official Website: http://www.chukchansi.net
Recognition Status: Federally Recognized
Traditional Name / Traditional Meaning:
Common Name / Meaning of Common Name:
Alternate names / Alternate spellings:
Name in other languages:
Region: California
State(s) Today: California
Traditional Territory:
The Chukchansi have inhabited the fringes of the San Joaquin Valley and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada for more then 12,000 years.
Confederacy: Yokuts, Mono, Paiute
Treaties:
Reservation: Picayune Rancheria and Off-Reservation Trust Land
Land Area:
Tribal Headquarters:
Time Zone:
Population at Contact:
Registered Population Today:
Tribal Enrollment Requirements:
Genealogy Resources:
Government:
Charter:
Name of Governing Body:
Number of Council members:
Dates of Constitutional amendments:
Number of Executive Officers:
Elections:
Language Classification:
Language Dialects:
During the years after the Gold Rush (1849) anthropologists visited the land of the Chukchansi. They grouped California Tribes together by their languages; hence, the Chukchansi are grouped with approximately 60 other Tribes in the greater Central Valley. These groups had (and still do have) similar cultures, and speak the same language, but had different dialects.
Number of fluent Speakers:
Dictionary:
Origins:
Bands, Gens, and Clans
Related Tribes:
- Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria (F) Pomo and Pit River Indians
- Dry Creek Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (F) (California) A group of more than 70 different tribes
- Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (F) (California) Pomo Indians.
- Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California (F) (California) Shodakai Pomo
- Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians of the Sulphur Bank Rancheria (F) Southeastern Pomo
- Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (F) (Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo)
- Guidiville Rancheria of California (F) Pomo Indians
- Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake (F) Pomo Indians
- Hopland Band of Pomo Indians of the Hopland Rancheria (F) Pomo Indians
- Kashia Band of Pomo Indians of the Stewarts Point Rancheria (F) Pomo Indians
- Lytton Rancheria of California (F) Achomawi (Pit River), Nomlaki and Pomo Indians.
- Manchester Band of Pomo Indians of the Manchester-Point Arena Rancheria (F) Pomo Indians
- Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (F) Pomo, Wappo and Lake Miwok Indians
- Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California (F) Chukchansi, Pomo, and approximately 60 other tribes.
- Pinoleville Pomo Nation (formerly the Pinoleville Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California) (F) Pomo Indians.
- Potter Valley Tribe (F) Pomo Indians
- Redwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (F) Pomo Indians
- Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (F) Primarily Pomo people. They also have some Athabascan or Dene People, and Algonquin people including the Wappo, Wiyot, Yuki, and Yurok.
- Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California (F) Pomo and Wailaki Indians
- Sherwood Valley Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (F) Pomo Indians
- Alturas Indian Rancheria – Achumawi (Pit River)
- Pit River Tribe – Atsugewi, Hweisedawi (Pit River)
- Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians of the Big Valley Rancheria Pomo and Pit River Indians
- Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria Cahto and Pit River Indians.
- Redding Rancheria – Wintun, Achomawi (Pit River), and Yana Indians
- Round Valley Indian Tribes – Yuki, Concow, Little Lake and other Pomo, Nomlaki, Cahto, Wailaki, and Pit River people.
- Susanville Indian Rancheria – Washoe, Achomawi (Pit River), Mountain Maidu, Northern Paiute, and Atsugewi (Pit River) tribes.
- Lytton Rancheria of California (F) Achomawi (Pit River), Nomlaki and Pomo Indians.
- Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California (F) Chukchansi, Pomo, and approximately 60 other tribes.
- Round Valley Indian Tribes of the Round Valley Reservation (F) Yuki, Concow, Little Lake and other Pomo, Nomlaki, Cahto, Wailaki, and Pit River peoples.
- Big Sandy Rancheria of Mono Indians of California (F)
- Choinumni (U)
- Cold Springs Rancheria of Mono Indians of California (F)
- Dunlap Band of Mono Indians (a.k.a. Mono Tribal Council of Dunlap) (U)
- Mono Lake Indian Community (U)
- Northfolk Band of Mono Indians(U)
- North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California (F)
- Northern Band of Mono-Yokuts (U)
- Santa Rosa Indian Community of the Santa Rosa Rancheria (F)
- Table Mountain Rancheria of California (Chukchansi) (F)
- Tejon Indian Tribe (F)
- Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation (F)
- Tuolumne Rancheria (F)
- Wukchumni (U)
- Yosemite Mono Lake Paiute Indian Community (U)
Traditional Allies:
Traditional Enemies:
Ceremonies / Dances:
Modern Day Events & Tourism:
Legends / Oral Stories:
Art & Crafts:
Animals:
Clothing:
Housing:
Villages were situated where there was exposed bedrock to use in the processing of plant foods. The early settlements ranged from large villages, with hundreds of bedrock mortars, to smaller hunting camps. These villages were near the traditional plant harvesting locations. They are just as important cultural resources for the Chukchansi people today as they were thousands of years ago. There are at least 15 sites on the Rancheria and allotment lands and some of the bedrock mortars have as many as 95 holes.
Subsistance:
The Chukchansi were a hunter-gatherer society. They also did some farming and fishing. The Chukchansi hunted deer, rabbit, raccoons, and other game in the marshes and grass lands. The primary food source that was gathered during the summer season was derived from plants, particularly acorns, nuts, seeds, roots and berries.
Economy Today:
Religion & Spiritual Beliefs:
Burial Customs:
Wedding Customs
Radio:
Newspapers:
Chukchansi Chiefs and Famous People:
Catastrophic Events:
Tribe History:
In the News:
Further Reading:
