What Ruffey Rancheria is About
The Ruffey Rancheria is a legislatively terminated tribe seeking to restore status as a federal acknowledged tribal entity.
Our tribe’s members consists of the descendants of the historic Indian villages of central Siskiyou County, California, who have long intermarried, traded, and shared in an interconnected cultural and political life. Its leaders have been well-known elders in Siskiyou County, California such as Rising Sun, Moffett Creek Jake, Tyee Jim, and Old Man Ruffey—the namesake of our rancheria.
The Ruffey Rancheria has a long history of interaction with the Federal, California, and County governments. Our ancestors participated in the negotiations for California’s unratified “Treaty R” in 1851. The California State legislature petitioned Congress to provide our group with a reservation in 1874. In 1907, a special Indian agent purchased 441 acres of land for the rancheria pursuant to the Act of June 21, 1906. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) also acquired individual land allotments for other members of our tribe. Some of this land remains in trust to this day. Our members hold other nearby land parcels in this area in private fee and still reside in the immediate area.
In 1961 the Rancheria was terminated by Congress pursuant to the California Indian Rancheria Act of 1958. There were significant irregularities in this process, and the BIA did not conduct due diligence regarding tribal membership at the time of Termination. In 1972, the BIA listed Ruffey Rancheria as among Indian groups that were, “no longer entitled to BIA services.”
Although Ruffey Rancheria was among the rancherias listed in the 1983 Tillie Hardwick et al. v U.S. et al. class action, the Ruffey Rancheria’s members did not qualify for restoration, because, during the intervening 24 years, the distributes had sold the original land assignments to support themselves and their families.
Since Termination, Ruffey Rancheria’s members have continued to advocate for their collective interests as an Indian community. In 1974, they established an unincorporated, non-profit entity to support economic and cultural activities for Native people in Siskiyou County. Unfortunately, that status does not adequately address the tribe’s present-day needs.