Wiyot / Mattole History

The Tribe was originally established in 1910 as a home for homeless, landless Native American Indians. In 1958 Rohnerville Rancheria was one of 34 California tribes that was terminated by an act of congress known as the Rancheria Act in December of 1983, the Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria, along with sixteen (16) other California Tribes, regained their federal recognition status by a class action lawsuit known as the Tillie-Hardwick case. The United States granted Federal recognition to our Tribe as a result of the lawsuit, but it did not provide the Tribe with compensation for the land, resources, rights and heritage/culture that was taken from them. Tribal Chairpersons lobbied Congress to get funds set-aside for three years for the Tribe.

Due to the newness of the Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria as  a federally recognized Indian Tribe, services the Tribe currently provides to its members are limited. It is the direction of the Tribe to secure grants to develop and expand programs such as education, health, social services, housing, employment, economic development and cultural rejuvenation.