Preserving our California history, rich with culture and traditions

Our Story

A homeland held for generations

The Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians of California is a federally recognized Indian tribe, listed by the Secretary of the Interior as such since 1985. The Tribe’s Rancheria land lies in Amador County, just outside the town of Buena Vista.

In the early 20th century, the federal government created a network of small “Rancherias” for landless Indian tribes in California, mostly in the northern part of the state. The United States purchased the Buena Vista Rancheria in 1927 with money appropriated by the Acts of June 21, 1906 (34 Stat. 325–328) and April 30, 1908 (35 Stat. 70–76). The Oliver family occupied the land prior to the government purchase.