"I recently read an editorial in the Contra Costa Times (California) regarding the fee-to-trust application of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians. I am concerned about the editorial board’s characterization of the Scotts Valley Tribe’s history. That Tribe has historical and modern connections to Contra Costa County and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Tribe is in the midst of an equitable consideration overseen by the federal government. No matter the outcome, promotion of a fair process and open communications will build a foundation for economic cooperation and development in the future, a prospect this community cannot ignore in the midst of the historic economic downturn.

The Scotts Valley Tribe’s land-into-trust application was under consideration while I was the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs in the Department of the Interior. Contrary to the assertions in the editorial, most members of the Tribe trace their ancestry to a tribal group that existed before the United States assumed jurisdiction over California, and that used and occupied area in and near present-day Richmond. The Scotts Valley Tribe has long had, and still has, a significant presence in Richmond, Contra Costa County and the Bay Area.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) should be allowed to consider this evidence without the political influence promoted and recommended in that editorial."

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