A view of the Chumash Tribe's land-into-trust site in Santa Barbara County, California. Photo from Chumash EA
With officials in Santa Barbara County, California, apparently unwilling to engage in "good faith" negotiations with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, a California newspaper isn't surprised that Congress is taking notice. H.R.1157, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians Land Transfer Act, places about 1,400 acres in trust for the tribe and is moving forward on Capitol Hill due to lack of progress at the local level:
Talks have been on and off between the two governments for years, with little progress. If fact, just about every move involving tribal plans results in increased hostilities that barely conceal the contempt each side feels for the other side’s claims. County officials — and particularly members of the Board of Supervisors — seem in denial about the tribe’s status as a sovereign nation, a government entity that can make its own rules. Tribal officials consider the fruitless negotiations as a stalling tactic. That belief is bolstered by the fact that various community groups in the Santa Ynez Valley challenge every business move the Chumash try to make. A prime example of such opposition is legal action anti-tribe groups have taken to stop the Chumash from turning 6.9 acres it owns in Santa Ynez into a tribal museum and interpretive center. Lawsuits over the proposal have kept the development on hold for more than 12 years. We have for many years held the belief that if county officials treated tribal officials as government equals, the squabbles and legal battles might have been over a long time ago. But because such treatment has not been evident, tribal leaders decided to seek relief at the federal level, which they have every right to do.Get the Story:
Editorial: No peace in the valley (The Lompoc Record 7/29)
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