Big Lagoon Rancheria blasts tribal 'propaganda'

Wednesday, November 2, 2005  

Virgil Moorehead, the chairman of the Big Lagoon Rancheria, is blasting a wealthy gaming tribe for spreading "propaganda" about his tribe's off-reservation casino bid.

Moorehead says the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians do not have an ancestral claim to Barstow. The Big Lagoon Rancheria hopes to build a casino in Barstow, located on a major interstate between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Although Barstow is more than 700 miles from the Big Lagoon Rancheria, Moorehead says his tribe has a right to seek a casino there under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. He said critics like the San Manuel Band are spreading misinformation about off-reservation gaming.

Deron Marquez, the San Manuel chairman, has been a leading opponent of "reservation shopping." "Because of his, I guess, monetary position, in terms of gaming, he tends to get a lot of attention,' Moorehead told The Hesperia Star.

Get the Story:
Big Lagoon head defends Barstow casino projects (The Hesperia Star 11/1)