Tribal Name: Pogi Dukadu , “Rye Grass Seed Eaters”
Tribal Language Group: Northern Paiute as well as Shoshone, Washoe, and Miwok, reflecting their multi-tribal lineage.
Population: 150+ est.
US State Inhabited: California
Official Website & Social Media
http://www.bridgeportindiancolony.com
History
www.bridgeportindiancolony.com
The Bridgeport Indian Colony (BIC) is located just outside of Bridgeport, California, located in the Eastern Sierra Mountain range. Our community consists of descendants from Miwok, Mono, Paiute, Shoshone, and the Washoe tribes. The general membership presently consists of 117 members, extending from the west to east coast. Our community is what gives BIC a strong and powerful foundation.
On October 17, 1974 we became a federally recognized sovereign Indian Tribe of California, establishing the constitution and by-laws. We govern under our own laws and customs for the common good and well-being of the Bridgeport Indian Tribe. For many years we have promoted preservation, protection, conservation, assistance in health, education, welfare, and tradition for the members of Bridgeport Indian Colony. Our tribal self-governance has enabled us to have a self-sufficient and self-determinate foundation.
The Tribe receives funding from federal, state, and local agencies to carry out all of BIC’s programs. BIC provides assistance to various areas to and including housing, burial, education, financial, social service, elder and youth programs. These services contribute to our self-reliance and determination.
Due to an insufficient period of our colony, a strategic plan was created to help rebuild our community and economical status. This plan was to form a basis for future development, to help our community increase our economic status, and to create a better environment for our native people.
Continue Reading
Relatives
Because the Bridgeport Indian Colony is a “composite” tribe—meaning it was formed by families from several different nations banding together—their “relatives” include a wide network of communities across the Eastern Sierra and Great Basin.
Here is the breakdown of who their relatives are, categorized by connection:
1. The Ancestral Lineages (Blood Relatives)
The enrolled members of the Bridgeport Indian Colony trace their direct bloodlines to these specific nations. You will find family members (cousins, aunts, uncles) of Bridgeport members enrolled in these tribes:
- Northern Paiute: The primary lineage. Most closely related to the Kutzadika’a (Mono Lake Paiute) and Agai-Dicutta (Walker River Paiute).
- Washoe: The tribe traditionally to the north and west (around Lake Tahoe).
- Western Shoshone: The tribe traditionally to the east (Nevada).
- Miwok: The tribe traditionally to the west (Yosemite/foothills).
- Mono: The tribe traditionally to the south.
2. The “Toiyabe” Family (Partner Tribes)
The Bridgeport Indian Colony is a member of the Toiyabe Indian Health Project. This is a consortium of seven tribes that work together like a large extended family to provide healthcare and social services to their people. They are politically and socially tight-knit:
- Bishop Paiute Tribe (Bishop, CA)
- Big Pine Paiute Tribe (Big Pine, CA)
- Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe (Lone Pine, CA)
- Fort Independence Indian Community (Independence, CA)
- Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe (Benton, CA)
- Timbisha Shoshone Tribe (Death Valley, CA)
3. The Closest Historical Relative: The Kutzadika’a
If you had to pick the single closest relative, it is the Mono Lake Paiute (Kutzadika’a).
Historically, they shared the same harvest cycles, gathering fly larvae (Kutsavi) at Mono Lake in the summer and pine nuts in the Bodie Hills/Bridgeport area in the fall.
The Bridgeport Colony and the Mono Lake Kutzadika’a are often considered “sister” communities.
Many families have roots in both places.
Media Gallery
Cannot locate tribal photographs
Reservation Map
Resources
- General Profile & Administration
Official Tribal Website:
Information: Governance, location, general history, and community services.
http://www.bridgeportindiancolony.com
California Tribal Families Coalition:
Information: Tribe directory profile, contact info, and county location.
https://caltribalfamilies.org/places/bridgeport-indian-colony/
- Culture, Language & Traditions
Northern Paiute Language Project (UC Santa Cruz):
Information: Verifies the traditional name Pogi Dukadu (“Rye Grass Seed Eaters”) and the specific dialect spoken in Bridgeport.
Last Whispers (Language Preservation):
Information: Details the tribe’s work in preserving their language and specifically mentions the pine nut (tuba) harvest narratives.
https://www.lastwhispers.org/northern-paiute
- Federal Recognition (1974)
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library:
Information: Contains the original 1974 memo and “Enrolled Bill S. 283” (Public Law 93-451) that granted the tribe their 40-acre trust land and federal recognition.
https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0055/1668725.pdf (PDF)
- Ancestral Treaties (Shoshone & Paiute)
National Archives (The “Secret” Treaties):
Information: Explains the 18 unratified treaties of 1851–1852 that left California tribes (including Bridgeport ancestors) landless.
https://www.archives.gov/files/publications/prologue/2013/fall-winter/treaties.pdf (PDF)
Tribal Treaties Database (Oklahoma State University):
Information: Full text of the Treaty of Ruby Valley (1863), signed by the Western Shoshone ancestors, granting access but not ceding land.
https://treaties.okstate.edu/treaties/treaty-with-the-western-shoshoni-1863-0851
Leave a comment