California Public Domain Allotments

Following the 1887 Dawes or Allotment Act, Native Americans could apply for up to 160-acre parcels of land on the so-called "public domain" (seized Indian land). The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) held these public domain allotments (PDAs) in trust for Indian allottees  with the goals of assimilation, containment, and appeasement. However, they became sites of refuge, resilience, and resistance. Due to the U.S. government’s failure to ratify treaties negotiated with California Indian peoples, many California Indians successfully applied for allotments on the "public domain" in the late 1800s and early 1900s. While many of these allotments were lost due to illegal cancellations, forced sales, and outright theft, today over 400 public domain allotments totaling over 16,000 acres remain across California. These allotments continue to be held in trust by the BIA for descendants of the individual allottees and are not subject to property taxes or local zoning regulations. 

We are an interdisciplinary group of researchers and practitioners (including descendants of allottees) working to protect and sustain public domain allotments. We recognize that California Indian public domain allotments are important sites for California Indian families and communities. These allotment lands are often sites of culturally important plants and ecosystems, and our project is focused on maintaining allottee access to these lands and supporting allottee stewardship in the face of climate change. We are working to ensure that remaining California Indian public domain allotments are sustained and protected for cultural practice, community connection, and ecological well-being.

Click here for more information about public domain allotments.