The Mishewal Wappo Tribe of Alexander Valley recently lost the appeal of the case where it had sued the Department of the Interior for recognition as a tribe.
The United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld an earlier ruling by a lower court that the tribe waited past the statute of limitations to sue the department over its decision not to grant status to the tribe.
The case, which was filed in 2009 was watched closely by Napa County officials, who had worried that if the tribe achieved recognition it would try to build a casino in California’s wine country.
