It didn’t take long to get to the heart of the debate Wednesday night in a closely watched federal hearing on a large tribal casino proposed near Windsor.
The public comments began with Dino Beltran, vice chairman of the Koi Nation. Beltran spoke of the forced displacement and resource deprivation that drove his people from their ancestral home in Lake County, and the cultural revival and financial lifeline they might gain from casino ownership.
“Tonight’s hearing is not required by federal law,” he said. “But the nation believed it is important for the public to have the opportunity to put its views on record.”
