A proposed $600 million casino project in California’s wine country has become the center of a heated dispute between two Native American tribes. The Koi Nation is looking to develop a major casino resort on land they identify as ancestral territory, located roughly an hour north of San Francisco.
Background: The Koi Nation’s Historic Struggle for Land
The situation surrounding the Koi Nation’s land is complex. In the mid-1800s, the tribe was removed from their traditional lands in Lake County and later granted land that was uninhabitable, according to reporting by the Washington Post. At one point, the federal government even revoked the Koi’s federal recognition, leaving the tribe without a reservation. Today, the Koi are seeking federal approval to move forward with the casino project.
“It is our time to control our own destiny, our own land, and our rights as a federally recognized tribe,” Koi Vice Chair Dino Beltran told the Post.
The Dispute: Conflicting Claims Over Ancestral Land
The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, another California tribe, also lay claim to the land in question. They argue that the Koi Nation’s efforts to build a casino amount to an “illegal land grab.” This controversy has arisen amidst relaxed regulations from the Biden administration, allowing greater opportunities for tribes to establish gaming operations.
Economic Concerns: Established Tribes Worry About Revenue Loss
Some tribes that already have casino operations worry that additional establishments could affect their revenues. For example, the Graton Rancheria, which owns a casino just 20 minutes from the proposed site, is opposed to the Koi’s project.
“They have no business in our area,” said Greg Sarris, chairman of the Graton Rancheria. “You can’t start having tribes move into other tribes’ territories.”
The Role of the Interior Department
The U.S. Interior Department is now tasked with determining which lands originally belonged to which tribes. Some tribes, like the Koi, can petition for the right to utilize traditional lands that were taken from them, potentially opening up new revenue streams.
“We’d like to provide our tribe with education, employment, health care, and financial independence,” Beltran explained. “That’s a right that every other tribe that was in this position once had, so we just want the same opportunities.”