The Picayune Rancheria, founded in 1912 and located in Coarsegold, California, covers 160 acres (1 km2) in Madera County and serves as the tribal land.

In response, they have pursued cultural and economic revitalization efforts, notably with the opening of the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in 2003.

The Chukchansi territory has traditionally spanned from the Sierra Nevada foothills to the Fresno and Chowchilla River valleys and down to the Tehachapi Mountains.

Today, many Chukchansi reside near their tribal headquarters in the Picayune Rancheria, approximately 30 miles north of Fresno.

The Chukchansi language, part of the broader Yokuts linguistic classification, reflects the diversity of approximately 60 tribes identified by anthropologists, each with distinct dialects but sharing cultural similarities.

Historically, the Chukchansi people were adept at utilizing their environment, engaging in farming, hunting, and gathering using advanced techniques.

The tribe promotes education and has collaborated with Fresno State's Department of Linguistics since June 2009 to revive its nearly extinct language through the Chukchansi Yokuts Revitalization Project.

[4] With only a few native speakers remaining, the tribe partnered with the university and contributed $1 million in 2012 to support the language's preservation.

[5] The tribe also established the Picayune Rancheria Chukchansi Scholarship at Fresno State to support students with an interest in Native American culture.

Protests escalated when supporters of the new leaders occupied a tribal building, leading to confrontations involving pepper spray and burning logs.