Is Unite The Parks Really Supported By Local Tribes?

Unite the Parkes stated on their web page that they had support from the North Fork Mono Tribe for their proposed Range Of Light National Monument.  Through research we have found that is true but what “North Fork Mono Tribe” really is might come as a shock to most people.

There are several federally recognized tribes in Fresno and Madera counties, California, including: 

• Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians

Located in Coarsegold, this tribe is affiliated with the Foothills Yokuts subgroup. The tribe has faced challenges such as displacement and loss of land but has worked to revitalize its culture and economy. 

• North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California

Located in Madera County, this tribe is a sovereign Native American government with nearly 3,000 tribal citizens. The tribe's mission is to protect and enhance its culture, health, welfare, and future. 

• The Big Sandy Rancheria of Mono Indians of California is a rancheria and federally recognized tribe of Western Mono Indians (Monache) located in Fresno County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census the population was 118

Most locals only know the tribes by there casinos

Fresno County has

The Table Mountain Rancheria, a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans, owns Table Mountain Casino in Fresno County, California. The Table Mountain Rancheria is made up of Mono/Chukchansi Indians owns and operates Table Mountain Casino Resort in Friant, California The Table Mountain Rancheria also owns and operates Eagle Springs Golf and Country Club and the Beach Club restaurant

The Mono Wind Casino is a small casino located near Auberry, Fresno County California. The casino is owned operated by the Big Sandy Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians.

Madera County California has the following casinos

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino is a Native American casino located just off of State Route 41 in Coarsegold, California, between Fresno and Yosemite National Park. It is owned and operated by the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians.

The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California is a federally recognized tribe of Mono Native Americans. North Fork Rancheria is the name of the tribe's reservation, which is located in Madera County, California.[1] Nium is their self-designation.[2]The North Fork Mono tribe are Western Mono Indians, whose traditional homeland is in the southern Sierra Nevada foothills of California. The Mono language is part of the Paiute language family.[3] Their oral history is included in Mono traditional narratives. Also a big congratulations on there long hard battel to break ground on The Central Valley's newest place to play is now under construction. North Fork Casino will be the hub of entertainment conveniently located in Madera on Highway 99. Groundbreaking for construction was held September 7, 2024. Construction will take 15-18 months to complete. The grand opening will be in 2026

Yes, the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California is a federally recognized tribe: 

• The tribe's federally recognized status was restored in 1983 as part of a settlement of the Tillie Hardwick suit. 

• The tribe is listed in the Federal Register as the North Fork Rancheria. 

• The tribe is a sovereign Native American government with nearly 3,000 tribal citizens. 

• The tribe's reservation is located in Madera County, California. 

• The tribe's self-designation is Nium. 

The tribe's ancestors include members of the Yokut and Miwok linguisitic groups. The tribe's name was given to them by an ethnographer in the 1910s

Unite the park states tribes will have access at discretion of the park service

 “The proposed bill supports tribal access, existing rights, and tribal involvement in land management. Here is the proposed language: (m) Native American Cultural And Religious Uses. Tribes shall retain all existing rights, such that nothing in this Act diminishes— (1) the rights of any Indian tribe; or (2) any tribal rights regarding access to Federal land for tribal activities, including spiritual, cultural, and traditional food-gathering activities, and cultural controlled burns. (n) Native American Cultural Burns. Tribes shall retain existing rights to perform cultural burns within the monument area and to plan the burns and their management with support from the management agency. Tribal agreements, which already exists via a contract with the Forest Service, are honored and remain, and cultural burns, which support wildlife, native plant life, and Native Amercan culture, will be part of this incredible landscapes’ future restoration. Unite The Parks web page”

Note in Unite The Parks posting on their web page which is also stated in the bill that was addressed to congress in 2022 but soon died there “with support from the management agency” Which means tribes that currently work with the local Forestry Department will now have to get permission from the Park service that manages Yosemite National Park which will take place of the management team currently in Sierra National Forest if there proposal should pass. Which could hinder their spiritual and native heritage practices. One must ask, have the local tribes within this boundary not suffered enough over the past hundreds of years. Should they have to worry about losing their rights to practice their heritage beliefs?

The North Fork Mono Tribe is not a federally recognized tribe, but a nonprofit organization started by a one Ron W. Goode. The only thing we could find on this was a Face Book page. The North Fork Rancheria Chairman Fred Beihm stated in a town hall meeting in Clovis California on 12/09/2024 conducted by CAL4WHEEL They are not in favor of this monument. Beihm went on to talk about environmental impacts, increased fire risk, impacts on the economy. He also stated, as the tribe has been in the area for thousands of years, the importance of proper forest management. He referred to it as a garden. You must pull the weeds and harvest the fruit for your garden to flourish. Most locals agree with that thermology and back the efforts in the effecting Fresno County side of Shaver Lake owned by Eddison company and previously managed by a one Jhon Mount. Mr. Mount has stated “we have loved our forest to death” If you look at an areal shot of Shaver Lake today you can tell what a properly managed forest looks like after a fire has burned threw the area. Unite The Parks was obviously miss informed about the Mono Tribes Non-Profit Organization which brings to question is their other analogies trustworthy such as there environmental impacts or there opinion on a more dense forest keeps the wind down and will slow the burn of future forest fires. We will cover this topic at a later date as UC Berkeley conducted a 20-year study on forest management which puts Unite the parks analogy of forest management to question. As of now we are unable to confirm any federally recognized tribe that is in the boundaries of the proposed Range Of Light National Monument that is in favor of this monument.

Article By: Derek Dicks Founder and President and Volunteer for Sierra National Forest CleanUp

12/12/2024