ranchería
American Indian community
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Cáhita settlements
- In Cáhita
…settlements called by the Spaniards rancherías, loose clusters of houses, usually of unrelated households. Each ranchería was autonomous, with an elder or group of elders as peacetime authorities. In time of war, however, the rancherías united in strong territorial tribal organizations.
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California Indians
- In Indigenous peoples of California: Cultural continuity and change
…Native Californians in 1955; Indigenous rancherías, or reservations, have become relatively autonomous in the period since. Each ranchería has an elected body of officials, usually known as a business committee or tribal council, which acts as a liaison between the community and such outside interests as the U.S. Bureau of…
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