The Tribe was originally established in 1910 as a home for homeless, landless Native American Indians. In 1958, Rohnerville Rancheria was one of 44 tribes terminated by an act of Congress known as the California Rancheria Act. In 1983, the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, along with 16 other California tribes, regained its federal recognition status through a class-action lawsuit known as the Tillie-Hardwick case. While the United States granted federal recognition to our tribe as a result of the lawsuit, it did not provide the tribe with compensation for the land, resources, right and heritage/culture that was taken. Tribal chairpersons lobbied Congress to get funds set aside for the Tribe for many years. 

​

Due to the newness of the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria as a federally recognized Indian Tribe, services provided by the Tribe to its members are limited. It is the direction of the Tribe to secure grants to develop and expand programs such as education, health, social services, housing, employment, economic development and cultural rejuvenation.