The Community
Building Brighter Futures
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Human Resources Education Housing Support Services Environment History In September 2002, the Dry Creek Band of Pomo Indians opened a small portion of its River Rock Casino, and the full facility was unveiled in April 2003. The opening of River Rock, as an enterprise of the Dry Creek Pomo, has provided opportunities for the Tribe that were unimaginable only a few years ago. |
The Pomo Indians are the original inhabitants of the Sonoma County community. Today the Dry Creek Rancheria Band has more than 900 members. Most members of the Tribe live in the North Coast region and are members of the greater community. Tribe members participate actively in all aspects of community life. More than 300 members are students, with the majority attending schools in Sonoma County. Adult members of the Tribe work as emergency room doctors, fire fighters, teachers, ecologists, and contractors in the region. The Rancheria itself is one of Sonoma County's leading businesses, generating millions of dollars for the local economy and supporting community activities throughout the region. More than 650 Rancheria employees live, shop, and pay taxes in the area. The new destination resort at the Rancheria will employ up to 2,000 workers. The Board of Directors of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians provides community benefit grants to public safety departments and hospital districts in Northern Sonoma County. Since 2004, these community benefit grants have exceeded $1.2 million. In addition, the Tribe provides hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in direct grants to schools and youth groups in the area. |
