The California Valley Miwok Tribe (located at 10601 N. Escondido PL, Stockton, CA, as listed in the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ BIA/DOI Spring 2011 Tribal Leaders Directory), a federally recognized tribe eligible to receive and distribute services from the federal government – on Wednesday, July 20th, 2011, attended a pre-scheduled meeting with the chairman, tribal officials and cultural preservation director of the Tachi Yokut Tribe in the council’s chambers, located in the tribal administration building at the Santa Rosa Rancheria. The Tribe, upon arriving, was also given a brief tour of the cultural preservation offices and artifact storage room by Preservation Director, Mr. Lalo Franco and department staff.
The meeting started with introductions, followed by Chairperson Burley addressing various issues with Tachi Yokut Tribal Chairman Ruben Barrios, Cultural Preservation Director Lalo Franco and attending Tachi Yokut tribal officials. Tachi Yokut Cultural Preservation Director Lalo Franco also spoke of issues concerning cultural preservation and of institutions that are currently out of compliance, of the changing horizon where some are trying to work with Native American tribes on these very sensitive issues, while others are resistant; exercising any loophole they can to retain the remains of our Native American ancestors and their artifacts.
The Tachi Yokut tribal officials and Mr. Franco also went further, describing the coalition of federally recognized tribes that are currently working together to encourage non-compliant institutions to abide by Section 106 Native American Graves and Preservation Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and in doing so, to convince them that the ethical action to undertake is to give back the ancestors for repatriation that are wrongfully being withheld. The discussion at the meeting touched on various other subject matter and of the multiple issues that the two tribes can network on for mutual support. This was the first government-to-government meeting between the elected officials and staff of the Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut Tribe and the California Valley Miwok Tribe and upon the Tribe’s visit, Tribal Chairperson Silvia Burley and staff were accorded much graciousness and respect and are very appreciative of how welcome the Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut tribal officials, staff and members made the Tribe feel during their visit.
The Tribe would also like to thank the Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut Tribe for their generous offerings and thank those listed below, whom attended the meeting on behalf of their tribe.
Mr. Ruben Barrios, Tribal Chairman, Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut Tribe
Mr. Elmer Thomas, Tribal Vice-Chairman, Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut Tribe
Ms. Elaine S. Jeff, Tribal Council Delegate, Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut Tribe
Mr. Kevin Thomas, Tribal Secretary, Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut Tribe
Ms. Rosa Hernandez, Tribal Treasurer, Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut Tribe
Mr. Lalo Franco, Cultural Preservation Director, Santa Rosa Tachi Yokut Tribe
