A bill in Congress would create a tribal homeland near Windsor, in northern California for the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians who have purchased the lands over the years since 2000, when they were allowed to build the Class II San Pablo Casino 17 miles from San Francisco.
The bill, H.R. 597, the Lytton Rancheria Homelands Act, has passed the House and is now being considered by the Senate, starting with the Indian Affairs Committee. It would put 500 acres into trust for the 280-member tribe, allowing it to build houses and a resort hotel, but not another casino.
The tribe’s spokesman and attorney, Larry Stidham, called the move “a big step for the tribe.”
Windsor residents who claim they were not allowed to testify against the bill, say they will continue to fight now that it has moved to the Senate. Eric Wee of Citizens for Windsor declared last week, “It’s far from over. We are hoping our senators look at this and take in the strong opposition against this.” His group has collected almost 3,500 signatures opposing the tribe’s plans.
The bill is very similar to a bill introduced two years ago by Rep. Jared Huffman that expired without action. This year its sponsor is Jeff Denham, who, critics point out, lives 150 miles from Windsor, and whose involvement cynical people attribute to a $68,000 campaign contribution he received last year from the Lytton tribe. Denham’s staff contends that he has been a longtime supporter of the state’s tribes.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors backs the plan for the 500 acres, as long as no casino is in the works.
The federal government 50 years ago dissolved the tribe’s original reservation near Healdsburg. In 2000 an act of Congress that was very controversial at the time allowed the tribe to convert an old card room on a ten-acre site in San Pablo into a reservation with a Class II casino.
Several years ago, the tribe applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put 124 acres unrelated to this 500 acres into trust, but so far has not gotten any action. That land could be used for a casino if the application is granted.
