Tule River Reservation | |
|---|---|
| Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation | |
 Location of the Tule River Reservation in California | |
| Established | 1873 |
| Seat of Government | East of Porterville, CA |
| Government | |
| • Body | Tule River Tribal Council |
| • Chairwoman | Charmaine McDarment |
| • Vice-Chairman | Neil Peyron |
| Area | |
• Total | 218.3 km2 (84.29 sq mi) |
| • Land | 218.3 km2 (84.29 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0 km2 (0 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,049 |
| Website | https://tulerivertribe-nsn.gov/ |
TheTule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation is afederally recognized tribe ofNative Americans. TheTule River Reservation is located inTulare County, California.[1]: 137 The reservation was made up ofYokuts, about 200 Yowlumne,Wukchumnis,[2] and WesternMono andTübatulabal.[3] Tribal enrollment today is approximately 1,857 with 1,033 living on the Reservation.[3]
For thousands of years, this area was inhabited by varying cultures ofindigenous peoples. Historic tribes encountered by Europeans in the area included theYokuts,Mono andTübatulabal. The area was first colonized by theSpanish andMexicans, followed by European Americans after the US victory in theMexican–American War in 1848.
After the Owens Valley Indian War and Following theTule River Indian War of 1856, the Tule River Farm, a farm attached to the Tejon Agency, was established in 1858 at the base of the foothills, near the present town ofPorterville. The farm was established on 1,280 acres (5.2 km2) on the South Fork of Tule River.[4] In 1860, Thomas Madden, an Indian service employee, gained personal title to the Tule River Farm, by using state school warrants. The federal government rented the Tule River Farm and paid Madden $1,000 per year.[5]
In 1864, the Tule River Farm became the Tule River Reservation, one of fiveIndian reservations authorized by Congress.[clarification needed] When the United States defeated Half the Owens Valley Paiutes in theOwens Valley Indian War of 1863, they were removed to the reservation, whose population nearly doubled. In 1864, the population consisted of 450 Tule River Indians and 350 Owens River Indians who were relocated there fromFort Tejon.[5]
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The Owens Valley Paiutes were frightening settlers around the growing town of Porterville. The settlers began to demand removal of the Indians on the Tule River Farm to a more distant location. Indian agents clamored to provide the Indians with a more permanent home. Some also argued the need to separate the Indians from unscrupulous individuals who entered the reservation to entice the Indians to buy cheap liquor.[6] As a result, the Tule River Indian Reservation was relocated; in 1873 it was established by Presidential Executive Order ofUlysses S. Grant as a homeland for Tule River, Kings River, Owens River, Monache Cajon and other scattered bands of Indians.[7]
Traditionally, 60 Yokuts tribes lived-in south-central California to the east of Porterville. By the end of the 19th century their population was reduced by 75% due to warfare and high fatalities from European diseases. The surviving Yokuts banded together on the Tule River Reservation, including the Yowlumne,Wukchumni bands of Yokut.[3] While the Tule River Indian Tribe includesOwens valley Paiutes andTübatulabal members, the majority of the tribe areYokuts. In 1917, someKitanemuk people also lived in the reservation.[8]
The tribe ratified their current tribal constitution in 1936 and last amended it in 1974.[9] Their Tribal Council is democratically elected and includes a chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer and five Council Members. The Tule River Tribal Council Consists of nine council members. Each member is voted for by the Tule River Tribal Members. The elected officials then decide who will perform functions of chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.[10]
The main piece of governing legislation is the Tule River Indian Tribe Constitution and Bylaws approved January 15, 1936.[11]
The Tule River Reservation was established in 1873 by a US Executive Order in the foothills of theSierra Nevada. The reservation is the site ofPainted Rock, an ancient petroglyph site. Located south ofFresno and north ofBakersfield,[12] it occupies 55,356 acres (224.02 km2). 566 tribal members live on the reservation.[3] Accessible only by one winding 15-mile paved road (24 km) up into the mountains, the nearest town isEast Porterville and/orSpringville.[13]
Due to the failure of wells in August 2022, families on the reservation had to use bottled water for drinking, cooking, and bathing.[14]
The tribe operates many programs to serve its members including a health clinic, a child care center, an adult and vocational education center, a college scholarship program, a housing authority, and a chemical dependency treatment center.[12]
The Tule River Indian Health Center is a501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 1973 and dedicated to meeting the healthcare and health education needs of the Native American communities in Tulare County.
Tule River Indian Health Center is governed by a Health Advisory Board composed of local tribal members from the Tule River Indian Reservation.[15]
TheForest Service signed a co-stewardship agreement in 2022 with the tribe for incorporation of tribal practices into management of theSequoia National Forest.[16]
On April 6, 2021, Tule River Tribe broke ground on the new property for Eagle Mountain Casino,[17][18] to be moved from the reservation to Porterville. It opened in fall 2023.[19]
Eagle Feather Trading Post is one of the largest convenience stores in Tulare County, located on Hwy 190 just above Lake Success.[20]
Many of the stories told by the elders of the Tule River Indian reservation have been handed down from generation to generation. Almost all of these stories reflect the ways and life of the Tule River Tribes. All of the stories carry a strong message to the youth and adults in the region. Significant historical facts on these stories come from Painted Rock, a remarkable set of pictographs along the South Fork Tule River, at 1,608 feet (490 m) on the Tule Indian Reservation.[21][22][23]
The reservation is mostly served by thePorterville Unified School District with a small portion of it served by theSpringville Union Elementary School District.
36°01′53″N118°42′54″W / 36.03139°N 118.71500°W /36.03139; -118.71500
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