San Manuel Chairman: Off-reservation gaming in Barstow

Monday, February 6, 2006  

"San Manuel is one of several clans of the great Serrano Indian nation whose ancestral homelands include most of present-day San Bernardino County, including the Barstow area. We oppose the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon proposed land acquisitions because they involve encroachment on our ancestral lands by outside tribes. The Los Coyotes tribe would propose to move more than 150 miles from their existing reservation while Big Lagoon would move more than 750 miles.

Our opposition has nothing to do with gaming. In fact, San Manuel has made it clear that it would not oppose a land acquisition by the Chemehuevi Tribe -- even for gaming purpose -- because Chemehuevi also has ancestral ties to the Barstow area.

Legislation introduced by Sen. Dean Florez that would require a tribe to have gaming-eligible lands prior to the Senate consideration of a compact is just sound policy. It also would harmonize California law with federal policy on this issue. Furthermore, the Florez legislation is in line with the will of the people of California who voted overwhelmingly to keep tribal gaming on Indian lands in Prop. 5 (1998) and Prop 1A (2000)."

Get the Story:
Deron Marquez: Casino development opposition is about protecting ancestral land (The Desert Dispatch 2/3)