A group called the Stop the Casino 101 Coalition says the leader of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria is not Indian.
The group claims Greg Sarris, who turns 58 this week, is of Caucasian, Filipino and other ancestry. A letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs seeks his removal as chairman.
"For them to go after me, that’s a way of delegitimizing the tribe, that’s what it’s all about,” Sarris told The Capitol Weekly. “I’m an easy target for them, or so they think.”
The tribe was federally recognized in 2000 by an act of Congress and is pursuing a casino in Rohnert Park.
Get the Story:Anti-casino group says leader of rival tribe not Indian (Capitol Weekly 2/11)
Mayors to consider countywide casino vote (The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat 2/11)