Whether three-quarter acre, 300 acres or 300,000 acres, Indian trust land is exactly that: Indian trust land, under the jurisdiction of Federal and Tribal governments.

Kitsap County Superior Court Judge Kevin Hull’s decision to assert authority over a parcel of Native trust land on Callow Avenue may fuel a legal battle involving the U.S. government and the Suquamish Tribe. Based on U.S. Code, Hull’s decision was incorrect.

Let us repeat what we put forth in an editorial in July 2015: It is to the benefit of the City of Bremerton, the Suquamish Tribe and the descendants of Roberta Law Ross to work together to determine the best economic development course for the Ross descendants’ trust land at 1321 N. Callow Ave.

Much of the area was undeveloped when Ross, a Quinault woman living in Bremerton, was allotted the land — a little over three-quarters of an acre — in exchange for waterfront property for naval shipyard expansion in the 1920s; because she was Native American, the U.S. government placed the land in trust — meaning, the U.S. holds the title to protect Native American ownership.