Description
An inside account of one Luiseño tribe''s history and their efforts to be recognized by the United States
With the largest number of Native Americans as well as the most non-federally recognized tribes in the United States, the state of California is a key site for sovereignty struggles, including federal recognition. In Unrecognized in California, Olivia M. Chilcote, member of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians of San Diego County, demonstrates how the state's colonial history is foundational to the ongoing crisis over tribal legal status. In the context of the history and experience of her tribal community, Chilcote traces the tensions and contradictionsbut also the limits and opportunitiessurrounding federal recognition for California Indians. Based on the author''s experiences, interviews with tribal leaders, and hard-to-access archives, the book tells the story of the San Luis Rey Band''s efforts to gain recognition through the Federal Acknowledgmen
