Tule River Tribe of Yokuts

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 589
Porterville, CA 93258

Contact Information

559-781-4271

Website

http://www.tulerivertribe-nsn.gov/

Casino(s)

Cultural History

The ceding of California to the United States by Mexico happened on 1849. There also came a time when the treaties negotiated with the Yokut Tribes but no ratification happened. It was not approved by the U.S. Congress. That was on 1851. After 3 years, the reservation of Tejon, located at the southern end of San Joaquin Valley, near Ft. Tejon, was established by the U.S military.

Under the governance of Thomas J. Henley as a Superintendent of Indian Affairs in California (Madden Farm), the original Tule Reservation was formed on 1856. Based on the historical records, Koyeti, Yaudanchi, Chunuts, Yokodo, Kaweah, Wukchumne, Punkalachi, Kumachisi, Yowlumne are the tribes that were represented at the Tule reservation. 1,280 acres was the total acreage of the first reservation and the number of population of Indian people there was 800. On January 9, 1873, Executive Order of President Ulysess S. Grant established the present Tule River Reservation. It was enlarged by another Executive Order to 91, 837 acres.

It was reverted back to its first size when President Rutherford Hayes implemented another executive order.  

It was just on 1980 that President Jimmy Carter made a decision to convey back the 1,240 acres of land to the Tribe in the NE corner of the said reservation by signing into law S.B. 1998. When they purchased 40 acres of private property on Highway 190, it was placed into the Federal Trust for the benefit of the tribe.

On 2004, Harry Lowe property that was purchased by the tribe was closed by Escrow. They were paying it still and it added 857 acres to their land. On the other hand, Wm McDarment property which consists of 21.55 acres was turned over to the Tribe. It was engaged in the submittal to B.I.A. which is for the trust status of the Tribe. There was an addition the overall land total. 

Back in 1924, Indian people decided to become citizens of United States due to an Act of the U.S. Congress. . On June 18, 1934, the enactment for the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) happened. It was used as a way in order for the Tribe to vote on proposed constitution and Bylaws. This was submitted in order for it to be ratified to members of the Tule River Bands of the Tule River Reservation. On December 7, 1935, they held an election and over 30 percent of the entitled voters cast their ballots. They came up with the votes of 43 people who agree and 2 who are against.  This is in to implement the Section 16 of the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), as amended by the act of June 15, 1935 (Pub., No.147, 74th Cong). The recommendation of the approval of the Tribe's organic document was made by William Zimmerman, Jr., Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Harold L. Ickes approved it on January 15, 1936. On 1974, Secretarial election held the last amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws.  

Today, around 750 employees are working for the tribe. 

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