Tribes in California’s Wine Country are winning praise for how they have stepped up to help victims of the furious wildfires that have ravaged this part of the Golden State, burned more than 100,000 acres and was responsible for 41 deaths and the loss of 5,700 homes.
At one point the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians sent people by boat to offer assistance to firefighters on the fire line. They also made their Twin Pine Casino Event Center available as main shelter for about 140 displaced survivors. They did ask the survivors to move out temporarily when a show was due to start, joked a Red Cross official who praised the tribe for its generosity. This is the fourth time in two years that the tribe has performed this service in response to wildfires.
Chairman Jose “Moke” Simon III, who also serves on the Lake County Board of Supervisors, noted that although only about a dozen survivors remain on property, that “We’ll be here as long as it’s needed.” He told High Country News, “We’ve learned from the Valley Fire that recovery will be a long-term process. It’s important to give back to our neighbors; we’re all in this together.”
The Graton Rancheria not only made its Graton Casino and 200 hotel rooms in Rohnert Park available for fire survivors, it closed its casino to business and committed $1 million to support victims. It also fed first responders.
Greg Sarris, tribal chairman of the 1,400 member Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which owns the casino, commented, “Not only are hundreds of our very own team members and tribal members displaced permanently from their homes, but we are heartbroken for the countless neighbors, families and friends whose lives have dramatically been affected by this ongoing devastation.”
Although the rancheria isn’t in the path of the fire, “We did close our tribal offices,” said “but it’s because our own employees are evacuated from their homes.”
The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians made its event center and campground available.
River Rock Casino in Geyserville was evacuated last week and was still closed this week.
The Napa Valley Casino and Parkwest Casino Sonoma have not closed.
The Elem Indian Colony of Pomo Indians was one of more than 20 rancherias whose members were driven from their homes, and in some cases, saw their homes burn while tribal governments’ capacities to serve their members were strained to the max. Even their cemetery was threatened. The tribe, located in Lake County, was forced to use boats to reach their homes on Clearlake due to blocked roads.
Due to a controversy over member enrollments, there is considerable distrust between some of the 200 residents and the colony’s tribal government.
One member declared, “The chairman won’t authorize any resources to clean up. So, we’re doing it ourselves. We’ve been clearing out greasy bushes that act like pine needles when set on fire.”
