Indian Gaming

Elaine Bethel-Fink, the chairwoman of the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians, on her tribe's connection to off-reservation gaming site:

The myth that the first peoples of this region lived in segmented tribal territories somehow clearly marked and separated from those used and occupied by other tribal groups has re-surfaced again, in this case in a March 28 guest commentary in the Sierra Star. The reality is much more complex, rich, and interesting.

In 2004, the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians began one of the most thorough and extensive ethno-historical studies ever conducted by a California tribe. The study entailed significant financial investment and nearly two years of primary and secondary research. More than 7,000 local, state and federal documents were analyzed and scores of personal interviews were held with tribal citizens and non-natives.

A final 400-plus page report, detailing the use and occupancy of lands around the present-day City of Madera by the North Fork Mono and our interaction with other peoples who shared those lands, from pre-contact to the modern era, was delivered to the tribe in the summer of 2006.

Get the Story:
Elaine Bethel-Fink: Monos and others roamed (The Sierra Star 4/3)

Federal Register Notice:
Land Acquisitions; North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California (December 3, 2012)

Related Stories:
Lawsuit challenges governor's approval of North Fork casino (4/2)