Wilton Rancheria has become the first Northern American tribe to be a majority owner of a men’s professional sports team after taking over Sacramento Republic FC. The tribe has taken majority ownership from Chairman Kevin Nagle, who will stay a managing partner and continue to be involved in the club’s operation. Jesus Tarango Jr., the chairman of Wilton Rancheria, said the deal is a way for the tribe, and Sacramento, to “sustain and build on what we have today.” This acquisition solidifies the tribe’s role in Sacramento’s development.
“This is our home,” Tarango said. “It goes back to the original obligations that our peoples had to the land. We’re stewards of this land.” This deal speaks to the resiliency of Wilton Rancheria, Tarango added. The tribe, whose ancestral lands are in the Sacramento region, lost its federal recognition in 1959 after the passing of the The California Rancheria Termination Acts. These policies stripped tribes of their land and authority to be sovereign nations. The tribe lost its autonomy to govern, its land and were targeted by the California genocide. The first Governor of California, Peter Hardeman Burnett, called for the extermination of California Native people, including members of Wilton Rancheria, saying that a “war of extermination will continue to be waged between the races until the Indian race becomes extinct…” But the tribe survived. Wilton Rancheria earned back its federal recognition in 2009. They also recently purchased back 77 acres of their land in May. “It’s funny, I guess, that the tribe that was meant to be stripped of everything and have everything taken away, we’re the ones coming back home saying that we want to invest in our home,” Tarango said. “We want to build this up because it goes back to the obligation that we have to the land.”
What does this deal mean for tribal members? The tribe will back the finances of a new soccer stadium and entertainment district in Sacramento’s downtown railyards. The project has an anticipated opening date for 2027. With this partnership, Tarango said it will start to build inter-generational wealth for the tribe. The tribal nation, with its headquarters in Elk Grove, has more than 1,000 people in its membership, with many living in the Sacramento region and some out of state. “We’re going to invest this money that our tribe, that our nation, has the ability to gain and to do these things,” Tarango said. “We’re going to reinvest it back, not only into our nation, the future of our nation, but also in our community.” Tarango said he “won’t share all the fine details” of how revenue is going back to members, but that the tribe has a revenue allocation plan. The revenue made from the Sac Republic FC ownership will be used for the tribe’s economic development, he added. “Our leadership has ensured that our tribal government will not be affected by anything that we’re doing, any investment, any of that,” Tarango said. “These monies that our tribe is utilizing are the tribe’s monies for economic development.”
Samantha Cypret, the chief of staff of Wilton Rancheria, said this investment is more than just a business venture. It speaks to the value of local governments working with tribal nations, who have the intention of keeping teams local.
“When you have tribal governments owning majority stakes in teams, it’s so powerful because we’re not going to move the team anywhere,” Cypret said. “We have a tie to the land since time immemorial. This is something only tribes can offer.” Tarango added he hopes this partnership sets an example in California and across the nation to view tribes as partners to the development of local communities. “You have to have those first inhabitants at the table, you have to have them there. You have to hear them. You have to because, again, we’re allies.” Tarango said. Wilton Rancheria has also built its Sky River Casino alongside Boyd Gaming, a gaming and hospitality company based in Nevada, in 2022. In June, the tribe announced plans to add a 300-room hotel, 1,600-space parking garage, spa, outdoor pool and an event space. This partnership marks another collaboration with a tribe and business interests in the Sacramento region. The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians currently owns and operates the Red Hawk Casino, which is one of the largest employers in El Dorado County. The Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians, located in Amador County, frequently collaborates with the Sacramento River Cats. For example, the tribe runs the Jackson Rancheria Resort Legacy Club at Sutter Health Park.
