Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California facts for kids
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 United States ( California) |
|
| Languages | |
| English, historically Northern Sierra Miwok language, Central Sierra Miwok language, and Southern Sierra Miwok language | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| other Miwok tribes |
The Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California is a federally recognized tribe of Miwok people. Being "federally recognized" means the United States government officially recognizes them as a Native American tribe. This tribe lives in Amador County, California. The Buena Vista Miwok are part of the Sierra Miwok, who are Native Americans from California.
About the Buena Vista Rancheria
The Buena Vista Rancheria is a special piece of land. It is 67 acres (0.27 km2) in size. This land is located near a place called Buena Vista. A "rancheria" is a small area of land set aside for Native American communities. The U.S. government bought this land in 1927 to create the rancheria.
Harrah's Northern California Casino
The tribe owns a casino called Harrah's Northern California. This casino is located right on their rancheria land. A company called Caesars Entertainment helps manage the casino. They also let the tribe use the famous Harrah's name.
The casino is quite large. It has 71,000 square feet (6,600 m2) of space for games. You can find 20 different table games there. There are also about 1,000 slot machines for visitors to enjoy.
The tribe had to go to court to build their casino. They won a legal case against Amador County in 2016. This allowed them to move forward with their plans. The casino officially opened its doors on April 29, 2019.
A Look at Their History
For a time, the Buena Vista Rancheria faced a big challenge. In 1958, the U.S. Congress passed a law called the California Rancheria Act. This law ended the official recognition of 43 rancherias, including Buena Vista. This policy was called "termination." It meant the government no longer recognized these tribes as self-governing.
However, this policy was later seen as a mistake. In 1970, President Richard Nixon said the Rancheria Act had failed. The Buena Vista Rancheria tribe then joined 16 other California tribes. They filed a class action lawsuit called Tillie Hardwick v. United States. A "class action lawsuit" is when a group of people with similar complaints sue together.
The tribes won their lawsuit in 1987. This victory helped them get their "sovereignty" back. "Sovereignty" means a tribe's right to govern itself. The Buena Vista Rancheria tribe became federally recognized again in 1985. On December 22, 1983, the tribe officially approved its own constitution. A constitution is a set of rules for how a government works.
