Chicken Ranch Rancheria

Jamestown, CA

The Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California is a federally recognized tribe of Miwok people in Tuolumne County, California. The Chicken Ranch Rancheria Miwok are central Sierra Miwok, an indigenous people of California.

The Chicken Ranch Tribe historically flourished as a relatively moderate sized community of Me-Wuk Natives in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Our original hunting and gathering territories stretched from the Table Mountain area of New Melones to the rolling hills of the lower Red Hills area. The proliferation of the land by mining and logging operations over the past 150+ years, intertwined with with western settlers purchasing repatriated land in the area, the historical territory of our Chicken Ranch Tribe was reduced to their current 2.85 acre parcel just below the south eastern face of Table Mountain.

In 1985 we received our federal recognition as an autonomous Native American Tribe of California. In efforts to be  economically self sustaining, we opened one of the first Native bingo halls in the state of California. Since 1985 we have expanded the bingo hall into our casino, medical clinic and hotel, in addition to our new Tribal Government building which oversees operations and policy of the organization as a whole.  

The Chicken Ranch Tribe of Me-Wuk Indians are dedicated to provide an empowering and enlightening environment for current and future generations of this Tribe, whilst acknowledging that our local non-native community is also a cherished vessel of friends, family, and cohorts.