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The Toyon-Wintu Center, Inc. is the non-profit corporation of the Wintu Tribe of Northern California, non federally recognized Tribe who is the "historic" tribe of this area. We currently have over 440 members. Our aboriginal territory is from Mt. Shasta in the Cascade Mountains south and west, including most of Shasta and Trinity Counties and parts of Siskiyou and Tehama Counties. Our most heavily populated communities including Baird are now at the bottom of Shasta Lake, created by the construction of Shasta Dam in the 1940s. While the Wintu Tribe is non federally recognized, we do have some elements of federal recognition. The U.S. District Court, Eastern District-California (e.g. Civil Case No. 5-85-1144-MLS, 4/20/1987) granted the Tribe access to the 61-acre Toyon Center in the town Shasta Lake City, a facility built by the Bureau of Reclamation for workers constructing Shasta Dam. The Toyon-Wintu Center, Inc. was incorporated in 1972 and for the past 35 years has sought federal recognition. Nearly all of the over 440 members of the Wintu Tribe do have 'roll numbers' issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) prior to 1997 and are therefore eligible for Indian Health Services (IHS). Recently the Tribe has been focusing on the concerns of the tribal members and found that among the social problems identified, emphasis was placed on more jobs and economic development, as well as educating the Wintu people and the community about our culture and heritage. Much concern was expressed about more opportunities for Wintu youth including education assistance to combat a high "drop-out" rate, recreation and job opportunities.
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