Tule River Indian Tribe

What happened

The Tule River Indian Tribe of California's website calls the Tribe a sovereign nation that strives to improve the livelihood of its members and community. It says the Tribe is in water-rights settlement negotiations with the United States and downstream users on the South Fork of the Tule River, with the goal of confirming federally reserved water rights sufficient to secure a permanent, self-sustaining homeland. The site lists a 2026 Tribal Council, a Justice Center and a casino relocation project.

On October 29, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom's office announced the return of 17,030 acres of ancestral land to the Tribe. The release calls it the largest ancestral land return in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Central Valley region. It says the return was carried out in partnership with the Tribe, the California Natural Resources Agency, the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, facilitated by The Conservation Fund, and funded through the Agency's Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant program, the Board's Habitat Conservation Fund and private philanthropic partners.

Tribal Council Chairman Leister "Shine" R. Nieto Jr. is quoted saying the Tribe envisions the land in the Yowlumne Hills as a place to gather, heal, and simply be. The announcement also describes reintroduction of tule elk.

The release does not give a price or say whether the Tribe holds the land in fee or trust.

Good to know. The return was announced by the state; the announcement does not give a price or say whether the land is held in trust.

Summarized with AI assistance from 4 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error