The Wilton Rancheria tribe has reclaimed land in Sacramento County that had been in possession of the federal government since 1959.
Tribal leaders showed jubilant pride in their reclamation as they invited neighbors and city and county officials to their news conference Monday morning to announce they’re putting the land in trust now that it’s been given back to Wilton Rancheria.
Tribal officials signed a land grant documentation effectively placing 77 acres of land back in sole ownership of its original owners.
“Today is a blessing,” Wilton Rancheria Vice Chairwoman Raquel Williams said during the news conference. “We’re a blessed people.”
Chairman Jesus Tarango said during the conference that it was a significant step forward and that this is only the beginning of what they plan to do in the future.
“There’s significant value to us because our descendants that we come from, they originally lived here, and we still have some of our original (land) here,” Tarango told The Sacramento Bee. “It’s a beautiful day because I think this is how we start to heal ourselves.”
GETTING THEIR LAND BACK
The 77 acres is located in Wilton, stretching down from Rancheria Road to the levee river and through Green Road.
The Wilton Rancheria land became federal property in 1959 after the tribe was federally terminated, Tarango said.
“A group of our elders in the mid-80s led a fight to overturn that, which ultimately led us to suing the Department of Interior,” Tarango said. “In 2009, we finally were granted our federal reinstatement. And so we got our federal recognition back, but it took about 50 years of us being unrecognized and this land being gone.”
Despite being recognized again in 2009, the tribe was technically still landless.
“When you think about what the government did, that’s the biggest thing they do, is they strip you of your identity, your land, your language, your look. And so for us that was taken from us,” Tarango said. “I have a lot of my citizens today who don’t know our heritage, who don’t know their culture. This is such a significant thing because it’s our first piece to where we could make our people whole, we could start that healing process.”
The tribe had to purchase the land back from the federal government. Tarango said it is unfortunate to have to buy the land back, but that he understands the significance of owning their land.
The purchase serves as a learning moment for his citizens, Tarango said, proving to be a reminder that land is currency.
“There’s a sense of pride to say that this is my land, this is our land,” he said. “By far, buying our land back is our biggest flex in sovereignty to teach our young citizens the power that’s in saying that this is your land. They’re not going to come in and tell you what to do or govern it. It’s self governance, it’s ours.”
Sacramento County’s Fifth Supervisorial District includes the cities of Elk Grove, Galt, Isleton and Rancho Cordova, as well as rural farming areas and communities in the southern portion of Sacramento County such as Wilton and the Delta, according to the county’s website.
Fifth District Supervisor Pat Hume apologized during Monday’s conference that the tribe had to purchase their land to reclaim it, but said he was in full support of the tribe’s newly reclaimed land.
“It’s great for them to have the opportunity to be able to put this land into trust and have a place of gathering for their people and something that will be here for many generations to come,” Hume said. “We’re happy to be here today that they are actually being able to put this land into trust.”
