rancheria (ränchāˈrēä) [key], type of communal settlement
formerly characteristic of the Yaqui Indians of Sonora, Mexico,
and of various small Native American groups of the SW United
States, especially in California. These clusters of dwellings
were less permanent than the pueblos (see Pueblo) but more so
than the camps of the migratory Native Americans. Rancherias
were small sedentary farming villages located on the flood
plain; their location was frequently shifted due to flooding and
changes in the river course. Houses were usually flat-roofed
structures with woven cane or wattle and daub walls. House
clusters shared ramadas, or unwalled, roofed patios that
provided a ventilated and shaded space for food preparation,
lounging, and sleeping. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia,
6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights
reserved. More on rancheria from Infoplease: See more
Encyclopedia articles on: North American indigenous peoples,
Culture