About Smith River Rancheria

The Smith River Rancheria is a federally recognized Indian tribe of Tolowa Indians that is located three miles south of the Oregon-California border in northwest California. The Smith River Rancheria consists of 1,038 Tribal members who form the general membership. The Smith River Rancheria is governed by a seven-member Tribal Council elected by the general membership. Direct tribal operations are administered by the Tribal Administrator. This position provides direct supervision of the Fiscal Department, Economic Development, Grants and Contracts, Enrollment Services, Environmental Programs, Housing Program, MIS, Community and Family Services Department, The Maintenance Department, and clerical staff. The Fiscal Department is administered by the Chief Financial Officer who is responsible for assuring fiscal and financial regulatory compliance.

The Smith River Rancheria, the largest in northern California, has 1,038 enrolled members with 94 of those members living within the boundaries of the Rancheria and owning 47% of the Rancheria property. The Tribe owns 27% of the Rancheria. These Tribally owned properties are used for the water treatment Facilities, Tribal Offices, Lucky 7 Casino, a Fuel Mart, apartments for the elderly, the Howonquet Cemetery, a UIHS medical/dental clinic, the Howonquet Head Start and Day Care facility, a proposed rental housing project, and Howonquet Hall Community Center. Non-Indians own the remaining 26% of the Rancheria. The federally recognized service area (near or on reservation status) includes Humboldt and Del Norte Counties in California and Coos, Curry and Josephine Counties in Oregon which includes 6,947 square miles of land.

Most tribal population is concentrated in a corridor stretching from Crescent City, California, to Brookings, Oregon. Rancheria property includes the shoreline opposite Prince Island in the Pacific, and the Island itself. The Rancheria also encompasses a portion of the lower reaches of Lopez Creek, and property along the northern shore of Smith River, near the mouth.