Sac-Verona-Band.info
Federal Documents and legal timeline
Timeline of documents from the Federal Archives and laws determining “Federally Recognized Tribes”. Includes identification of the constructed “Sacramento-Verona Band” and for contrast the actual historic group of California El Dorado County Indians. The lands purchased were Congressionally appointed for California Indians to maintain their ancestral lands and culture. Click on photos and documents to view (some are a little slow but every section has a clickable).
Treaties with California Indians
1852
**Individuals of Sacramento-Verona Band did not come into California until 1870 and do not show up in El Dorado County US Census until after 1970.
18 California Indians Treaties. El Dorado County Indians signed treaty J as the Wopumnes. The El Dorado County Indians show up all US Census for El Dorado County since the first census in 1852.
El Dorado County Indians
1905-06
C.E. Kelsey Census of California Indians, confirmed California Indians and their territories by interview and ethnographic study. This is a Congressional Authoratative Census. The surnames are known, their ethnography is documented in the El Dorado County Museum and by UC Davis and other universities.
Sacramento-Verona Band
1915
BIA Land Purchase Agent John Terrel went off script, included “Kanakas” and Named them the “Sacramento-Verona Band”. **Washington DC office objected to “kanakas” being joined to the purchase. The goal was to place California Indians on their ancestral lands. Terrel missed that order also and decided he can stack a non-aboriginal group onto the ancestral lands of another group over 70 miles away from Sutter County. This to was objected to in federal records.
Sacramento-Verona Band
1916
John Terrel was told to “explain” his paperwork as to “why was he including “Kanakas” by Washington DC. Terrel said “they said they were Native”. Terrel was then instructed to correct his paperwork. Terrel didn’t get the concept that the two groups were 70 miles away and unrelated.
El Dorado County Indians
1920
The BIA rightfully placed the El Dorado Indians, Padillas, Smiths, Franklins, who took residency on their ancestral lands Terrel had purchased for them in 1915-1916. It was consolidated into 240 acres as a “Reservation” called “Shingle Springs” for “Mewuk” and placed on the Federal Register, naming the El Dorado County Indians the “Shingle Springs Mewuk”. Federal records show their barn was being used by the BIA as an office.
El Dorado County Indians
1928
Charles R. Padilla, respected El Dorado County Indian leader instigated the California Indian Jurisdiction Act by joining with the California US Attorney General to sue the Federal Government for failing to provide for the Rancherias. The Padillas were living on the “Shingle Springs Reservation” the locals called it “Greenstone”. It was landlocked with no roads going into it or utilities. The BIA was using their barn as an office.
El Dorado County Indians
1928
The “Federal” California Indian Jurisdiction Act described how California Indians were to be identified. Using ethnographers such as Krober and Gifford of Berkley, Davis and others. The El Dorado County Indians were throroughly documented and approved being given BIA Roll numbers. The 1906 Kelsey Census became the controlling document to identify California Indians.
**The Sacramento-Verona Band is not in this document.
El Dorado County Indians
1934-35
Indian Reorganization Act made the El Dorado Indians the Federally Recognized “Indians of the Shingle Springs Rancheria”. Only BIA designated RESIDENTS of the Rancheria became the legal IRA representatives of the El Dorado County Indians voting in the IRA.
**According to US Census the Sacramento-Verona Band did not live in El Dorado County and were never under Federal jurisdiction. See later in this timeline, 2004 William Wirtz, BIA solicitor testimony in El Dorado County vs. Sacramento-Verona Band.
El Dorado County Indians
1966
The members of the Padilla and Smith families had been living on the Rancheria, their ancestral territory since 1920. In 1965 CalTrans wanted to eminent domain the lower section of the Rancheria to build Highway 50 through the Reservation. To assist with this the BIA allotted the lower 80 acres to a non-IRA voting Padilla family member and then CalTrans immediately eminent domained the land forcing off the elderly couple. This event did not terminate the IRA voting Padillas who remained as the legal governing body of the remainder of the Shingle Springs Reservation. Thus the historic Shingle Springs Mewuk of El Dorado County were never terminated and they still exist today.
Sacramento-Verona Band
1974
Richard Nixon ordered the BIA to make reparations to the California Indians by ensuring they were benefitting from their ancestral lands.
** The “Sacramento-Verona Band” having no ties to El Dorado County immediately wanted to sell the ancestral lands of the El Dorado Indians…
Sacramento-Verona Band
1980
Sacramento-Verona Band Chair, Nicholas Fonseca testifies that they first took residency on the Rancheria in 1980 and according to his written declaration in the Cesar Cabellero Trademark case 2009. They started calling themselves “Shingle Springs Miwok” after several failed attempts at receiving federal benefits.
Sacramento-Verona Band
2004
In El Dorado County v. Sacramento-Verona Band, BIA Solicitor gives testimony. He truncates his testimony regarding land allotment to Padilla failing to reveal Federal records showing that the allotment was to benefit CalTrans and build Highway 50.
**He does explain that the Sacramento-Verona Band was NOT recognized and somewhat the federal law explaining why. 15 page document.
