The Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior is facing a new lawsuit after placing a plot of land in Redding, known as Strawberry Fields, into federal trust status.
The BIA and DOI made the designation in July 2024 after a roughly 20 year review process with the Redding Rancheria. The approval gave the rancheria the green light to expand and relocate its casino to the piece of land at I-5 and S. Bonnyview Rd.
The new lawsuit, filed by the Speak Up Shasta Association, Wintu Tribe of Northern California and the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, claims the approval triggered a host of legal obligations that the agencies ignored. It claims the agencies illegally waived the Indian gaming regulatory act which requires a “two-part determination” to decide whether to grant the rancheria’s application.
