Five tribes opposing the Shiloh Casino and Resort project proposed by the Koi Nation of Northern California were joined April 5 by the Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County, who voted 5-0 to oppose it.
Supervisors said they were persuaded to oppose the casino after receiving a letter from other Sonoma County tribes opposed, including The Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and Lytton Band of Pomo Indians.
They claim that the historic lands of the Koi Nation, which achieved federal recognition in 2019, are in a neighboring county. They accuse the tribe of “reservation shopping.”
It is known that the tribe, which was landless for many years, had ancestral roots in the Russian River area. Their land was seized by settlers after the Gold Rush.
The Koi Nation issued a statement: “The Koi Nation has been, and will continue to be, open and transparent throughout the process of taking our land into trust for the benefit of our members and the entire Sonoma community.”
The Bureau of Indian Affairs will have the final say on whether the 68.8 acre former winery purchased by the tribe is put into trust, which is necessary for the Koi to build a 200-room hotel and casino with six restaurants in Windsor, which is north of Santa Rosa and along Highway 101.
