A total of 23 tribes in California are seeking to restore their land base in what critics are deriding as "reservation shopping."

Most of the tribes don't have any land because they were terminated. Some have small rancherias that are unsuitable for major development.

To obtain land, tribes can get Congressional approval. The Lytton Band of Pomo Indians, a restored tribe, was able to have 10 acres in the Bay Area taken into trust. The tribe is seeking to convert an existing card club on the property into a full Class III casino.

Seeking land through the Bureau of Indian Affairs is another option, although time consuming and costly. The United Auburn Indian Community won approval for a casino site.

Get the Story:
6 local tribes seek off-site casinos (The Santa Rosa Press Democrat 1/29)

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