The Shingle Springs Tribal Members

Today there are over 400 tribal members of the Shingle Springs Band, and this number continues to grow. Presently, 141 of those live on the reservation. Our tribe is spread throughout California, Oregon and Washington because we were forced to leave our homelands to find work and a means to provide for our families. Today our members range in age from two months to 83 years old.

Access To The Rancheria

In 1965, the realignment of U.S. Highway 50 effectively turned the Shingle Springs Rancheria into an island. Since then, the only access for tribal members has been a narrow, winding rural road controlled by surrounding homeowners who determine who or what may come and go from the reservation.

The homeowners gained this control in 1998 when a court order was issued on their behalf after they complained about traffic. Because of the court order, our gaming facility was forced to close just three months after it opened. The court order also placed further restrictions on the use of the road by tribal members. To bring commercial vehicles on to the reservation, the tribe must ask permission from the homeowners. Each permit is accompanied by strict rules and regulations.

Failure to adhere to these regulations has resulted in heavy fines against us in the past. The consequence of severely restricted access combined with the control exercised by homeowners has left us isolated and unable to pursue our sovereign right to self-reliance.

In the judicial and legislative worlds, history is what truly defines sovereignty for the Native American. Sadly, this is a history filled with many broken promises, hundreds of broken treaties, court decisions that contradict one another. The end result is the near annihilation of an entire race of people.

The inability to have commercial access to the Rancheria has severely impacted our ability to bring economic opportunities to our people. We are presently working with county and state officials and agencies to bring direct access to our lands.