As the Biden administration winds down its term, indigenous tribes are anxiously watching for a decision over a plot of land in Vallejo where a proposed casino project has embroiled several tribes in a battle over cultural propriety.
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is waiting to hear whether the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs will approve its request to put a 128-acre parcel of land bordered by Interstate 80 and Columbus Parkway into trust. The arrangement would authorize the U.S. government to hold title to the privately-owned land and allow the tribe to develop the site and govern it.
The first Trump administration rejected the proposal in 2019, saying the tribe didn’t demonstrate a historical connection to the land. But a federal court judge ruled the government overstepped its authority and overturned the decision.
