Vallejo City Council urged not to take action on Scotts Valley Casino project
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is urging the Vallejo City Council to hold off on any agreements with the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians regarding a proposed casino.Summary
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has requested the Vallejo City Council not to take action on a memorandum of understanding with the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians concerning a planned $700 million casino project in Vallejo. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation disputes the Scotts Valley Band’s claim to ancestral rights to the land, asserting that Chief Shuk Augustine never resided in Vallejo. They argue that the Scotts Valley project seeks to erase the Patwin connection to the area and that the city should remain neutral while the Department of Justice addresses legal errors in a gaming rights determination. The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians countered that the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, owners of Cache Creek Casino, are motivated by greed and that the project would bring jobs and revenue to Vallejo. A recent court ruling and a Department of the Interior acknowledgement have raised questions about the validity of the original casino approval, with the court warning Scotts Valley against relying on a prior gaming eligibility determination.
(Source：Santa Rosa Press Democrat)