Today, we celebrate Blue Lake Rancheria’s Independence Day, a powerful reminder of our strength, survival, and sovereignty.
For thousands of years, the Wiyot people and neighboring Tribes lived along the Baduwa’t in deep connection with the land and waterways. But in the mid-1800s, everything changed. The California Gold Rush brought devastating violence, forced removals, and even massacres, leaving communities shattered and their lands stolen.
In 1908, Blue Lake Rancheria was federally established as a small reservation for displaced Native Americans, providing a home for those who had been forcibly removed from their own. Yet, in 1958, the Tribe was wrongfully terminated under Public Law 85-671, also known as the California Rancheria Termination Act, stripping away federal recognition, resources, and sovereignty in an attempt to erase Tribal nations.
However we never stopped fighting. After 25 years of legal and political advocacy, the Tribe successfully regained federal recognition in 1983 through the Tillie Hardwick v. U.S. case. Since then, we have rebuilt our governance, strengthened our economy, led nationally recognized climate resilience efforts, and reclaimed our place as a sovereign Tribal nation.
Today, we honor those who came before us, those who fought for our rights, and those who continue to build a thriving future. Our history is one of hardship, but it is also one of endurance, strength, and renewal.
𝙎𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙞𝙩. 
Originally Published: 3/21/2025