The New Chiefs: A quest for recognition

One in an occasional series exploring the new leaders of California's Indian nations

CHINA LAKE – Chief Donna Miranda Begay marveled at the images of bighorn sheep, coyotes, birds and rattlesnakes clinging to the walls of Little Petroglyph Canyon, as they have for centuries.

In this rocky canyon in Inyo County, her gaze fell on what looked like a native family dancing and praying over a fire. Maybe they were her ancestors on a vision quest, seeking spiritual guidance. She believes her people gathered acorns, pine nuts and Indian tea for thousands of years, and roamed these petroglyph canyons.

Begay, chairwoman of the Tubatulabal – or Piñon Gatherers – of neighboring Kern County, was on her own vision quest this sunny Friday in November. She had sold her Sacramento home, left behind her soccer teams and uprooted her life to fight for federal recognition for her ancient nation.

"We still celebrate our culture and our ceremonies," Begay said tearfully. "That pictograph is who we are, we are tied to the Earth, and that's our greatest strength. We were able to adapt to the challenges put before us. We're still here, just as those petroglyphs are still here."

The U.S. government doesn't consider the 200 members of the Tubatulabal (pronounced Too-bot-too-labl) an official tribe. Begay claims their history spans 10,000 years – even before cliff paintings appeared in the canyons of the volcanic Coso Range on what's now the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station.

The Tubatulabal and 66 other unrecognized California tribes don't qualify for federal programs designed to help with education, health care and housing – help that Begay says her people desperately need.

Many of the Tubatulabal still live in the hills of Kern County, around the Kern River and Isabella Lake, where their ancestors were allotted parcels by the U.S. government in 1887. Some families lack plumbing, electricity and paved roads. The nearest Indian Health Clinic in Lone Pine and the dental clinic in Bishop each is a day trip away.

"We feel we're the non-served, we're not even considered at the policymaking table," Begay said.

The Tubatulabal are among thousands of California Indians who don't qualify for any of the $7 billion in annual California Indian casino profits because they aren't officially recognized by the U.S. government. Without recognition, they cannot sign a gambling "compact," which would enable them to open a casino, nor are they eligible for a share of the casino profits distributed to poor, non-gambling tribes.

Of 108 federally recognized tribes in California, 57 have casinos. Some reap up to $300 million a year. Fifty-one recognized tribes without casinos each get a $1.1 million-a-year share of Indian gambling money.

"We're looking at water, shelter, a better quality of life for our seniors, our disabled, and our youth, and to help preserve our culture and language," Begay said.

Begay, 50, played on two Sacramento soccer teams – Thunder and Still Kicking – until she sold her Elmhurst home last month and moved to the tribal headquarters at Mountain Mesa to lead the recognition fight.

The great-granddaughter of the last Tubatulabal chief, Steban Miranda, Begay seems uniquely qualified to lead. She is completing her doctorate on the "Impact of Indian Gaming on California Tribal Leadership."

Begay says gambling has united California nations "on the urgency to protect their sovereignty," but that they need to work together to create opportunities for those not recognized.

A professional consultant on tribal issues, she has advised Indian nations from Canada to Long Island on recognition and economic development. As owner of NAVA Tech – Native American Virtual Advancement with Technology – Begay has helped improve tribes' technology and communications systems. She once worked for the U.S. Bureau Of Indian Affairs on the issue of blood quantum. "If you were 50 percent Indian, you qualified for college scholarships," she said.

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