Judge denies county’s request to dismiss Wappo claim [View All]

[bluesbassman]

Source: Napa Valley Register

A U.S. District Court judge has denied Napa County’s request to dismiss a local Indian tribe’s bid for federal recognition, a development which tribal officials expect will all but guarantee a settlement deal in the near future.

The decision to reject the motion came on Monday when District Court Judge Edward Davila ruled that arguments put forward by Napa and Sonoma counties did not constitute sufficient reason to dismiss the Mishewal Wappo tribe of Alexander Valley’s bid for recognition.

snip

The tribe first sued the federal government back in 2009, claiming that official recognition of the tribe had been illegally terminated in 1959.

Spurred by fears that recognition that could one day lead to an Indian casino taking root somewhere in the North Bay, Sonoma County joined the suit as intervenor defendants in March of 2010.


Read more: http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/judge-denies-county-s-request-to-dismiss-wappo-claim/article_f6690280-ff63-11e0-84dc-001cc4c03286.html

---

This is a very happy day. The Wappo are my wife's people and this ruling is long overdue and will lead to a more hopeful future.