Nine Federally recognized tribes in northwestern California have formed the Humboldt County Tribal Transportation Commission (HCTTC) to facilitate tribal participation in transportation issues. The nine tribes involved in the Commission include the Yurok Tribe, the Blue Lake Rancheria, the Karuk Tribe of California, the Trinidad Rancheria, the Big Lagoon Rancheria, the Rohnerville Rancheria, the Smith River Rancheria, the Wiyot Tribe, and the Hoopa Valley Tribe.
The tribes formed the HCTTC to address two primary issues: (1) a shared consensus among the tribes that, in the past, meetings with Federal and local agencies did not have positive outcomes, and (2) a need to develop consistent inter-tribal communication and information sharing. In 2005, the nine tribes formed the HCTTC to share information and technical resources with the goal of improving transportation systems throughout northern California.
The HCTTC's bylaws were formally adopted in February 2008, with a mission statement of:
To promote safe and efficient modes of transportation, and to improve transportation, identify transportation needs, and advocate for transportation issues of tribal communities; to collaborate on issues between all of the Native American Tribes; and, to solve problems concerning transportation issues among the tribes.
Creation of the HCTCC marked the first time that all the tribes had come together on a single issue. While some of the tribes had longstanding disagreements with one another, all agreed that the HCTTC was a forum for transportation issues of shared interest in national and state transportation concerns that affect tribes. Through the HCTTC, the tribes are now able to share information about transportation programs, funding sources, and the best approaches to manage transportation bureaucracies.
The tribes use the HCTTC to advocate for transportation solutions throughout Humboldt County. By partnering and collaborating with local agencies, the HCTTC has resulted in transportation improvements that benefit not only the reservations and rancherias but also Federal, state, and county road systems; public transportation; and other alternative transportation modes.
