CHOINUMNI HERITAGE
The Choinumni tribe is a band of the Yokuts indigenous to the Central Valley of California.
The main Choinumni Territory is along the Kings River in the foothills of Sanger. We built our villages along the riverbanks enjoying fishing, gathering acorn, as well as hunting deer and rabbit.
Evidence of our existence in this particular area for thousands of years include acorn grinding holes set deep into the granite that took centuries to make.
Our language is a dialect, or a specific version, of the wider Yokuts language family. Languages are a big part of a culture, helping people share stories, knowledge, and traditions across generations.
In 1958 the Bureau of Indian Affairs terminated many small Rancherias in California, no longer recognizing them as Indian Nations. The Chukchansi/Mono people of Table Mountain Rancheria, along with many other small Tribes in California, successfully sued the Federal Government to be re-recognized as sovereign Indian Nations.
The Choinumni Tribe has been working since 1959 for federal recognition, including a 1987 application that is still pending.
About the Choinumni
Do the Choinumni Have Their Own Language?
Yes, it is a dialect of the Kings River Yokuts. Jennie Irene Oliver, one of the last fully fluent speakers, passed away January, 2022 at the age of 83. An estimated half dozen living members of the tribe retain knowledge. Efforts to revitalize the language have been organized through the California State University, Fresno Department of Linguistics.
Do the Choinumni Have a Casino?
No. It is a common misconception that all tribes have casinos or are federally recognized. Our treaty was signed in 1851, and we have yet to be granted full federal recognition along with health, education, and social programs provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service.
Do the Choinumni Have a Reservation?
While we no longer have a reservation we enjoy frequenting Choinumni Park with other residents, as well as have our own Sacred Burial Grounds approximately one mile from the park.
Choinumni Park was purchased by Fresno County in 1971 with acquisition and development funds from the 1964 State Park Bond Act and Federal Land and Water Conservation Act.
How Many Choinumni Are There?
Choinumni have integrated with other tribes in the area, and have three separate bands applying for recognition. Enrolled numbers within those bands have not been updated in at least 20 years, and that would not include tribal members who decide to remain sovereign.
Are Yokuts and Choinumni the Same Tribe?
Choinumni are part of the Yokut people, the names are not interchangable.
Our Mission
To preserve the history and culture of the Yokut Choinumni tribe, to tend to our people, and to better connect with the community around us.
Want to Send Something In?
Where to mail
Choinumni Admin
1840 Shaw Ave
Suite 105-3
Clovis, CA 93611