California’s Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation said last week that it still expects action soon from the Bureau of Indian Affairs on its request for an off-reservation request to put land into trust near Calexico in the southern part of the state. It has been expecting a decision for several months.
An off-reservation request requires the consent of the governor. So far, Governor Jerry Brown has so far agreed to allow two off-reservation requests.
Last week Mayor Bill Hodge predicted that the city would soon have “good news” about the tribal request. The casino would have about 1,000 employees. Hodge said, “As mayor, I want to say that in the city of Calexico, we’re pushing for jobs, jobs, jobs.”
