"It's difficult to find anyone in the Chukchansi tribal controversy who shouldn't share the blame for the dispute turning violent this week.

Both factions in the leadership battle took calculated steps that made violence likely. Government officials from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the Madera County Sheriff's Office refused to act, even when it became clear that illegal acts had been committed.

It is no excuse to say that tribal sovereignty prevented authorities from moving earlier. When it got to the riot stage, law enforcement rushed to the scene with officers from multiple jurisdictions.

But the agency that is most to blame is the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which repeatedly refused to sort out the tribal dispute. The BIA, under the U.S. Department of Interior, should be embarrassed over its unwillingness to do its job when it was needed most."

Get the Story:
Plenty of fault in tribal dispute (The Modesto Bee 2/29)

Another Opinion:
Our View: A case study against tribal gaming BIA (The Merced Sun-Star 2/19)

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