The Colorado River Indian Tribes have been evicting non-Indians who refuse to pay rent for leasing land on the reservation.

Jim Foley starting leasing land on the California portion of the reservation in 1979. But he didn't pay rent for the last 21 years.

“I decided not to pay them,” Foley told Capitol Weekly. “They did not belong there in the first place. I’m not going to pay somebody for something that doesn’t belong to them.”

Foley and other non-Indians claim the California side if the Colorado River is not part of hte reservation. But the federal government and the federal courts have ruled otherwise.

Most of the non-Indian residents are paying rent, a tribal attorney said. And while the tribe is evicting those who haven't paid upwards of $50,000 and $80,000, the tribe isn't trying to collect the money.

Get the Story:
California's West Bank: Tribes vs. residents on the Colorado River (Capitol Weekly 8/11)

Related Stories:
Non-Indians accuse tribes of ignoring their property rights (6/17)
Appeals court backs CRIT court in battle with non-Indians (6/10)
Colorado River Indian Tribes evict non-Indian at recreation area (9/14)
County won't intervene in Colorado River Indian Tribes lease flap (7/28)
Non-Indians continue to fight Colorado River Indian Tribes on rent (7/27)
Judge backs CRIT authority over non-Indians (9/30)