Miwok People

History
The Miwok Indians reside in north-central California, from the coast to the west slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There are three divisions of the tribe -- the Coast Miwok, the Lake Miwok, and the Sierra Miwok. Traditionally, the Coast Miwok lived along the Pacific Coast, from approximately today's Sausalito to Duncan's Point; the Lake Miwok, east and south of Clear Lake north of Santa Rosa; and the Sierra Miwok to the east to the western slope of the Sierras.

Brief Timeline
1579: Encountered by Sir Francis Drake

1821: Mexico Independence from Spain

1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1849: Gold Rush

Additional References to the History of the Tribe
Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Miwok tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods. Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.

Reservations
There are several small groups or bands of the Miwok Tribe in California. Many of those bands have their own reservation or rancheria. See the section on this page for a list of those which have been thus far identified.

Bands of the Miwok Tribe and Their Reservations
Coast Miwok


 * Now called the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

Lake Miwok


 * Middletown Rancheria

Sierra Mewuk


 * Buena Vista Rancheria
 * California Valley Miwok Tribe -- new name for Sheep Ranch Rancheria
 * Chicken Ranch Rancheria
 * Jackson Rancheria
 * Sheep Ranch Rancheria
 * Shingle Springs Rancheria
 * Tuolumne Rancheria

Others


 * Auburn Band of Maidu and Miwok Indians -- Auburn Rancheria (now known as the United Auburn Indian Community)
 * Ione Band, population - 8

Records
The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:


 * Allotment records
 * Annuity rolls
 * Census records
 * Correspondence
 * Health records
 * Reports
 * School census and records
 * Vital records

Important Websites

 * Constitution of the Me-Wuk Indians
 * Miwok Indians Wikipedia
 * Short history of the Southern Miwok Tribe of Yosemite Valley
 * Yosemite Online Library -- Links to several sources regarding the Ahwahneechee, or Indian people of the Yosemite Valley