Gaming divides unrecognized California tribe

Monday, November 27, 2006  

The Gabrielino/Tongva Nation of California doesn't have federal recognition or any land but the tribe is already divided over gaming.

One faction, led by Sam Dunlap, wants a casino. With a $21 million pledge from investors, Dunlap and his Gabrielino-Tongva Tribal Council have been trying to convince state lawmakers to move the idea forward.

Another faction, the Gabrielino/Tongva Band of Mission Indians, has been around a little longer. Its leaders say Dunlap and his group are illegitimate.

Dunlap appeared to be getting somewhere when an outgoing state lawmaker introduced a bill to authorize a casino without federal recognition. But now he's fighting with Jonathan Stein, the lawyer who brought in the investors.

The situation "is just giving legitimate tribes a bad name," Ron Andrade, the director of the Los Angeles City-County Native American Indian Commission, told The Los Angeles Times. "It's just hurting all our image."

Get the Story:
Battle over a casino plan divides Gabrielino Indians (The Los Angeles Times 11/26)
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