Recently, arguments made by Napa and Sonoma Counties proved successful when U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila ruled against a group claiming to be descendants of Mishewal Wappo Indians of Alexander Valley (Wappo) who sued the federal government in 2009 seeking status restoration and placement of unidentified Napa County lands into federal trust as tribal lands. The court agreed with the counties and the federal government that the Wappo waited 40 years too late to bring its lawsuit when the statute of limitations is only six years. The litigation stemmed from the 1959 termination of the Alexander Valley Rancheria, which was located in Sonoma County.
The ruling is noteworthy in that it continues to keep casino style gaming out of Napa County, and protects those sought lands from being exempted from local and state regulations. The ruling also shows that there are limits to the latitude that will be granted to tribes. Napa County officials expressed gratitude to the federal government for its continuing efforts to scrutinize and verify all historical records of modern groups wanting to become federally recognized Native American tribes and taking Napa lands into trust.
“The end result of this ruling is very important because it ensures local lands continue to be protected, and upholds the agricultural preserve and watershed lands that we hold so dearly,” said Diane Dillon, RCRC Delegate and Chair of the Napa County Board of Supervisors. “It also makes certain that the voice of Napa County residents is heard, and their years of efforts are not dismissed.”
As Congress grapples with the issues of fee-to-trust and tribal acknowledgement issues, precedent-setting cases like this one are critically important in how tribal issues will be implemented in rural communities across California.