Nomlaki

The Nomlaki are a Wintun people. They are the Native people of what is now known as the Sacramento Valley, extending westward to the California [Coast Ranges|Coast Range] in Northern California. Today, some Nomlaki people are enrolled in the federally recognized tribes: Round Valley Indian Tribes, Grindstone Indian Rancheria or the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians.
The Nomlaki were bordered by the Wintu in the north, the Yana in the northeast and east, the Konkow in the east, the Patwin in the south, and the Yuki in the west. They spoke the Nomlaki language, but there are only partial speakers of it.

Nomlaki groups

There are two main groups:

The River Nomlaki lived in the Sacramento River region of the valley.
The Hill Nomlaki lived west of the River Nomlaki. Their territory is now within Glenn and Tehama counties and the River Nomlaki region.

The Nomlaki spoke a Wintuan language known as Nomlaki. It was not extensively documented, however, some recordings exist of speaker Andrew Freeman and Sylvester Simmons.9780520266674

Population

Estimates for the pre-contact populations of most Native groups in California have varied substantially. Alfred L. Kroeber put the combined 1770 population of the Nomlaki, Wintu, and Patwin at 12,000. Sherburne F. Cook estimated the combined population of the Nomlaki and northern Patwin as 8,000. Walter Goldschmidt thought that the pre-contact population of the Nomlaki was probably more than 2,000.
Kroeber estimated the population of the Nomlaki, Wintu, and Patwin in 1910 as 1,000.

Today

The US federal government restored the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians to full tribal status in 1994. They were able to acquire land, the Paskenta Rancheria, and establish the Rolling Hills Casino outside of Corning, California. Nomlaki people are also enrolled in the federally recognized Grindstone Indian Rancheria and Round Valley Indian Tribes.