Investing In the Community

Building Brighter Futures

Monday, May 18, 2009

Today the Dry Creek Rancheria covers only 75 acres of what was once an 86,400-acre territory. As in 1915, Dry Creek Tribal members continue to survive through economic development. Without traditional resources and extensive land holdings, the majority of the tribe has been forced to adapt to much of the Anglo-European society and culture. Nevertheless, the Pomo people remain a strongly independent and distinctive community.

The Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians is led by a chairperson and a board of directors selected every two years in a tribal election. As elected officials, the board members are honored and proud to serve the Dry Creek membership during their two-year terms.

Because the designated reservation land had few commercial uses, the Tribe's opportunities for economic self-reliance had been severely limited. However, in 1988, Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to provide for regulation of gaming by Indian tribes—an action by the federal government that would enable tribes to reach self-sufficiency.

Because of this act of Congress, the Dry Creek Rancheria tribe was able to open its first major enterprise, River Rock Casino, in September 2002. Now in full operation in a temporary facility, the new enterprise has helped to provide funding for infrastructure, health, welfare and educational needs not only for the tribe but also for the surrounding communities.