Published on: January 13, 2025, 07:16h.
Last updated on: January 13, 2025, 07:16h.
The previous Biden administration gave approval on Friday for the land trust applications for two tribal casinos that have faced controversy. One is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, while the other is in southern Oregon.
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is planning a $700 million casino in Vallejo in Solano County on the north edge of the Bay Area. Meanwhile, the Coquille Indian Tribe aims to construct a gaming establishment in Medford, Oregon.
These approvals on Friday will convert the designated land for the casinos into federal trust land for gaming purposes.
Points of Contention
Both projects are contentious as they face opposition from the governors of California and Oregon, as well as local tribes. Despite claims from the Scotts Valley Band and Coquille tribes of ancestral ties to the land, other tribes in the area have disputed these assertions.
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, operator of Cache Creek Casino, has stated that the land in Vallejo is “Patwin ancestral territory” and criticized the Scotts Valley proposal as appropriating such lands, which they say cannot withstand scrutiny.
A coalition of tribes led by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians sued the US Interior Department in an attempt to prevent the approval of the Coquille trust application but were unsuccessful.
They have accused the Coquille tribe of “reservation shopping” – deliberately seeking land far from its base in Coos Bay to get the best location for a casino.
Brenda Meade, chair of the Coquille tribe, has rejected this accusation and criticized the negative precedent it sets for tribes working to rebuild their reservations in accordance with laws and regulations.
Challenges and Progress
Meade welcomed the decision on Friday after years of opposition, reflecting on the challenging process that the Coquille Tribe has endured. The trust application was initially rejected by the Trump administration in 2019 but was later reinstated by a federal judge who deemed the decision arbitrary and capricious.
Scotts Valley tribal Chairman Shawn Davis expressed gratitude for the decision after waiting for years for a resolution on the land issue.
This land is not only a part of our past but also crucial for our future. We thank the Department of the Interior for recognizing its significance to the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and helping us achieve this milestone,” Davis stated.
In response to the Coquille decision, Cow Creek chair Carla Keene expressed determination to contest the decision and not allow it to stand uncontested.