Railroads in Native America

03/27/2026

The Railroads in Native America Steering Committee is thrilled to announce our partnership with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the host tribe for the 2026 Forum!

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Séekas’in!

The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians (SSBMI) welcomes you to the 2026 Railroads in Native America Forum at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California, unceded territory of the Nisenan people.

Our community descends from the Nisenan and Miwok people of the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Foothills. It is our pleasure to host this national forum taking place on our ancestral homelands. Bringing attention to this enduring landscape and the nearby villages of Pusúune, Sáama, Seek, K’ademmá, and Wóllok gives our communities an opportunity to showcase the restoration efforts taking place despite the extraordinary impacts the railways have had on our ancestral homelands.

As river people of the Táamom, Nótowmom, Koosóm Mómti, and Óota (the Sacramento, American, Cosumnes, and Feather rivers), we take pride in stewarding the land, as our ancestors always have. We do this by maintaining beneficial land management practices, perpetuating cultural arts and traditions, advocating for healthy waterways and educating our community and the public through exhibits, contemporary art shows and publications showcasing our rich history and culture.

We hope that Forum participants will enjoy the installation curated by the SSBMI Exhibits & Collections Center in collaboration with regional tribal artists and learn about the impacts of the railways in our communities. The legacy of the railroad continues to have lasting effects on Native peoples and the environment, and illustrates the importance of forums like these that promote tribal perspectives from across the nation.

We look forward to meeting attendees, engaging in these important discussions, and sharing our stories and culture with you.

Wenném! (Thank you!
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Cultural Resources Division • Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians ; ; California State Railroad Museum ; ;

03/13/2026

We would like to acknowledge important programs like Story Corps, "which is committed to the idea that everyone has an important story to tell and that everyone's story matters."

Thanks to their incredible work we get stories like the one below, which highlights how the complicated history between Native Americans and railroads still touches families today:

Barnie Botone tells his friend Gordon Williams about his 34-year career working on the railroad.

03/06/2026

Does this face look familiar?

This is the original mug shot of Modesta Avila, the subject of our 2026 Forum art work.

In the late 1800s, Southern California was rapidly changing. Once dominated by sprawling ranchos and a mix of Indigenous/Spanish-speaking populations, the region saw a surge of U.S.-Anglo immigration, driven by railroad expansion and commercial real estate. Many of the residents, unable to maintain their lands, were forced to sell at unfairly low prices.

Modesta Avila was one such individual who fought back. When the Santa Fe Railway laid tracks just 15 feet from her home, she demanded $10,000 in compensation. The railroad refused, claiming a right-of-way. In protest, Modesta blocked the tracks—whether by placing a railroad tie or hanging a clothesline, reports vary. Although her obstruction was removed before a train passed, she was arrested and sent to San Quentin Penitentiary for over 2 years.

As we kick off Women's History Month, we remember Modesta Avila’s brave resistance and her unwavering defense of her heritage and community, which continues to inspire us today.

Credit: California State Railroad Museum

03/01/2026

An opportunity we just became aware of! Even if you can't apply for funding by the March 2nd deadline, please consider saving this information for next year.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DfdDX8Gru/

✒️ Applications are due soon for the Phillips Fund for Native American Research! This grant funds research in Native American linguistics, ethnohistory, and the history of studies of Native Americans, in the continental United States and Canada.

🔗 Learn more and apply here: https://www.amphilsoc.org/grants/phillips-fund-native-american-research

✉️ Contact [email protected] for more info.

02/20/2026

The ways in which railroad companies represented Native Americans in their brochures rarely captured the complex richness of their cultures and the violence they experienced with westward expansion. Marketing materials attempted to capitalize on the romanticism around the idea of the "American West" to boost sales.

These images, rooted in the idea of Manifest Destiny, influenced citizens and policymakers when it came to working with tribes and fulfilling treaty obligations.

The Railroads in Native America Forum makes space for tribal communities, professionals, scholars, artists, and more to discuss the past and present impact of images like this.

Follow this page for stories and announcements around attendee registration in the next few months.

Image Credit: Photo shared by Bob Klempner with the ; "Salt Lake Route brochure, which later became the Union Pacific Line between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles."

02/04/2026

🚂SUBMISSION PERIOD ENDED AS OF JANUARY 31, 2026🏁

Proposals for the 2026 Railroads in Native America Forum are currently under review by Committee Members. Individuals and group panels will be notified of their status by email on Monday, March 2, 2026.

Presenters of accepted proposals must confirm their intention to attend the forum and return completed paperwork to the Steering Committee by 11:59pm Pacific Time on Friday, March 27, 2026.

If you have any questions, updates to your proposal and/or background information, please email [email protected].

Follow us for more updates and stories related to Railroads in Native America.

The registration link for virtual and in-person attendees will be announced later this spring.

01/30/2026

🚂CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS | Railroads in Native America Forum🚂

We're still accepting submissions until MIDNIGHT PST, January 31st!

💰 $500 honorarium for all selected presenters who attend
📅 Forum Dates: July 9-12, 2026
📍 Location: Sacramento, CA at the California State Railroad Museum Foundation

Ready to share your expertise? Here's what we need:
✅ Your contact information
✅ A short proposal (up to 400 words) on how you'd like to participate
✅ Connection to our Guiding Questions (optional but helpful for scheduling)
✅ Your credentials: CV, resume, expertise description, or portfolio

📝 Submit your proposal here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7NFhB_jchz18LxTsLRRz5jRqH1kxrnWpxcJEX66_JovWAzQ/viewform

Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or https://www.californiarailroad.museum/events/railroads-in-native-america-forum

🗓️ Don't miss this opportunity to share in this public history discussion!

01/26/2026

We are still accepting submissions for the 2026 Railroads in Native America Forum!

All selected presenters who attend the forum will receive an honorarium of $500.00.

At this stage of the process, individuals and groups of presenters only need to submit
* Participant(s) contact information.
* A short proposal (up to 400 words) describing how you wish to participate.
* Whether your proposal directly links to any of the “Guiding Questions” in the pinned post above (not required, but helpful for scheduling sessions).
* One or more of the following: C.V., resume, description of expertise/authority, portfolio of previous work as applicable to the proposal.

Presenters can submit their proposals here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7NFhB_jchz18LxTsLRRz5jRqH1kxrnWpxcJEX66_JovWAzQ/viewform

01/14/2026

Chief Tendoy was key in establishing negotiations between the Shoshone at Fort Hall, U.S. government officials and Union Pacific. To mark this occasion, Tendoy presented Union Pacific president Carl Grey with a ceremonial bow decorated with eagle’s feathers in 1926. At the end of a year, Grey had to return the eagle feathers to the Shoshone as a sign of respect.

These items, minus the eagle feathers that UP returned to the Tribal Nation, remain in UP’s collection, and can be found on display at the museum. Shared here is a portrait of Shoshone Tribe Chief Tendoy, circa 1926.

Today the Shoshone people continue living on reservations in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada, and throughout the United States. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribe in Ft. Hall, Idaho, estimates that they contribute more than $400 million annually to their local economy.

CREDIT: Union Pacific Railroad Museum (https://www.uprrmuseum.org)

01/07/2026

Did you know that the California State Railroad Museum (2026 host of the Railroads in Native America Forum) houses a physical library and archives, along with a digital exhibit? Photographs and materials from across California show how railroad history shaped our communities, families, and our lives in surprising ways.

Whether you're a scholar or individual working on a private project, consider checking out their resources at https://www.californiarailroad.museum/visit/library.

01/07/2026

The Railroads in Native America Forum will be held July 9-12 in Sacramento, CA. This interdisciplinary collaboration welcomes scholars, tribal representatives, artists, students, musicians, and more to share their stories, projects, art, and family experiences.

Presenters can submit their proposals here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7NFhB_jchz18LxTsLRRz5jRqH1kxrnWpxcJEX66_JovWAzQ/viewform

At this stage of the process, individuals and groups of presenters only need to submit
* Participant(s) contact information.
* A short proposal (up to 400 words) describing how you wish to participate.
* Whether your proposal directly links to any of the “Guiding Questions” in the pinned post above (not required, but helpful for scheduling sessions).
* One or more of the following: C.V., resume, description of expertise/authority, portfolio of previous work as applicable to the proposal.

All selected presenters who attend the forum will receive an honorarium of $500.00.

Go to https://www.californiarailroad.museum/events/railroads-in-native-america-forum for more information.