Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 84 (1991)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States (California) | |
| Languages | |
| English | |
| Religion | |
| traditional tribal religion, Christianity, Sun Dance, Native American Church[1] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Western Mono |
The Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation, also known as the Benton Paiute Tribe, is a
Reservation
The Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe has a federal reservation in
Mono County, ten miles (16 km) from the Nevada border called the Benton Paiute Reservation (37°47′22″N 118°31′19″W / 37.78944°N 118.52194°W) in Benton, California. The reservation is 400 acres (1.6 km2) large that is held in Trustee status and another 67 acres held in fee simple status. Approximately 50 tribal members on the reservation.[2] The reservation was established on July 22, 1915.[1] The tribe owns and operates the Benton Crossing Cafe in nearby Benton, California.[4] The nearest incorporated city is Bishop, which lies about 40 miles (64 km) to the south. About the same distance to the west is Mammoth Lakes
, although there is no direct road leading there.
Government
The tribe's headquarters is located in Benton, California.[5] The tribe is governed by a democratically elected, five-person tribal council.[1]
The tribe identifies as being
blood quantum, either from the Benton area or descended from original enrollees. Other Owens Valley Paiute can be adopted into the tribe, as approved by a five-person enrollment committee.[6]
The current tribal administration is as follows:
- Chairwoman: Tina Braithwaite
- Vice-Chairman: Shane Saulque
- Secretary/Treasurer: Vacant
- Council Person: Michelle Saulque
- Council Member: Cecil Rambeau
- Chief Arbitrator: Joseph Saulque[7]
At the beginning of 2010, the tribe was awarded a $200,000 grant from the
US Department of Energy for a study of the feasibility of geothermal energy development on tribal lands.[8]
History
The tribe unanimously voted on their constitution on November 22, 1975 and ratified it on January 20, 1976.[3]
Name
The name Utuʼutuwi·tu, a subgroup of Owens Valley Paiute (or Eastern Mono), was
Anglicized to Utu Utu Gwaiti, or Gwaitu.[9]
Education
The reservation is served by the Eastern Sierra Unified School District.
Citations
- ^ a b c d Pritkzer, 227
- ^ a b California Indians and Their Reservations. Archived 2009-02-05 at the Wayback Machine San Diego State University Library and Information Access. 2009 (retrieved 5 May 2010)
- ^ a b Rusco and Rusco, 566
- ^ "Tribal history". Benton Paiute Reservation. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ "Tribal Governments by Tribe." National Congress of American Indians. (retrieved 5 May 2010)
- ^ "Enrollment Ordiance." Utu Utu Gawitu Paiute Tribe. (retrieved 5 May 2010)
- ^ "Tribal Council." Utu Utu Gawitu Paiute Tribe. (retrieved 5 May 2010)
- ^ "Geothermal development possible for Benton area?" The Inyo Register. 2 March 2010 (retrieved 5 May 2010)
- ^ Liljeblad and Fowler, 433
General and cited references
- Liljeblad, Sven and Fowler, Catherine S. "Owens Valley Paiute." Handbook of North American Indians: Great Basin, Volume 11. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1986. ISBN 978-0-16-004581-3.
- Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0-19-513877-1.
- Rusco, Elmer R. and Mary K. Rusco. "Tribal Politics." Handbook of North American Indians: Great Basin, Volume 11. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1986. ISBN 978-0-16-004581-3.
External links
- Benton Paiute Tribe, official website
Municipalities and communities of Mono County, California, United States | ||
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