George Rebane
The 26may22 Union reported (here) that there is a new initiative being launched to have the Nisenan Indians reclaim some of the land that the US government screwed them out of more than a century ago. The history and Nisenan claim is anything but simple, but this indigenous local tribe, now numbering less than 150, want their land on which to build a cultural center that will anchor a venue in which they can maintain their traditions and educate the rest of us about their heritage. At least that’s what I understand of their claims.
The parcel they want is called the Nisenan or Nevada City Rancheria, and consists of almost 80 acres located in the Cement Hill area north of town, next to the old Nevada City airport property. The old hand-drawn map shown below is all they have on their heritage websites which don’t really define how the tribe is currently organized, if at all. (here, here, and here)
I have taken the old map which shows one section (640 acres or one square mile) of land on which two lower left 40-acre parcels are labeled “Indian Colony” on the old map, and drawn it on the map of the Nevada City area shown below. To date there have been no claims made on any specific parcels.
We don’t yet know where all this is going, but given the progressive propensities of Nevada City residents, it’s not a long shot to anticipate some serious heat starting to be generated about returning land to the ‘rightful indigenous owners’ before any light is produced. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the process we don’t have hundreds of would-be Nisenan emerging out of the woodwork to militate for some sort of government reparations ranging from land to cash payments.
The whole situation is not unique to Nevada County and has been and is being played out elsewhere in the country (note the mess in eastern Oklahoma). Which all calls into question as to what current productive residents of a land owe to people who claim to be deprived relatives of long-lost primitive ancestors who presumably spent centuries on the land, and were able to develop some woven baskets and stacked stick residences as their contribution to advance their progeny.
Full disclosure – the Rebanes have more than a passing interest in this matter since we have lived on one of the so-called ‘rancheria’ parcels for the last twenty years.
[4jun22 update] The Union’s editorial board (of which Jo Ann is a member) gave their very measured view on the Nisenan issue (here). They back giving land to the surviving members of the tribe. More than likely this would be a hunk from the western end of Nevada City’s ‘airport property’ that abuts the recorded ‘Indian Reservation’ (the rancheria) shown on the above map. For federal recognition of the tribe, a part of the land must include at least a “sliver” of the rancheria which is now private property. No one yet knows what constitutes a sliver. The editorial board’s position concludes with – “But we can make a decision at this moment to support a project that is warranted. We can acknowledge the harm that was done, and work toward a better future, not just with a recognition at the start of a council meeting, but a federal recognition supported by real action from Nevada City and this county.”
rebanesruminations.com 
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