"The Indian wars in the Santa Ynez Valley just seem to go on and on, with no end in sight.

Another battle was engaged recently when the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted to add stronger language to a letter to federal officials objecting to yet another plan by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians to improve their financial position.

At some point - and as it is now, it appears that point is somewhere in the far distant future - the tribe and its antagonists should make a greater effort to get along. It probably won't involve a melding of ideologies and philosophies, but it certainly could include a meeting of minds on technical and financial matters.

For their part, tribal leaders could do a better job of communicating their plans to the community. Those objecting to the tribe's legitimate expansion of their business operations might consider trying to better understand Chumash goals and aims."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Close together but far apart (The Santa Maria Times 6/30)
Editorial: Growth industry, like it or not (The Santa Maria Times 6/30)

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Chumash Tribe's development deal stirs opposition (06/07)
Davy Crockett actor under fire for working with tribe (05/17)
Chumash Tribe to turn land into housing community (03/16)
Once outspoken, county official now mum about tribe (03/23)
County official won't resign for calling tribe uneducated (03/10)
Elected official called Calif. tribe unsophisticated (3/5)