Written by Joey Brasil
A 4-1 vote on Wednesday by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has led to the removal of policies that have made it nearly impossible for Native American tribal governments to expand.
Tribal governments are given the requirement of acquiring land on their reservations under a fee-to-trust process. Following this, the tribes are able to build and implement housing on their acquired land along with natural resources being available.
The policies that restricted these tribes were passed by the San Diego Board of Supervisors dating back to March 1994. The fee-to-trust applications were all opposed despite the applications being valid and qualified. Additionally, in 2001, the board passed a policy that regulated how tribes achieve liquor licenses within their land on the reservations.
Despite the fact that the board overturned those two rules, tribes would still require approval from other regulatory agencies including the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Projects created in the county are judged on a case-by-case basis that includes telling property owners among others regarding the tribes.
“They are our equals as sovereign governments,” as stated by Desmond.
The two unfair policies removed that affected native tribes gave many Native Americans relief after 30 years of inequality. Chairman of the Rincon Band of Luseño Indians, Bo Mazzetti, added that it was “time to get rid of this outright racist law. Let’s do what’s right.”
“Generation after generation, our people have had land taken from them. We’re just asking for the opportunity to buy back our own land.” “No one in this county can point to an example where tribes purchased land and didn’t improve it,” Mazetti added.
The repealing of these policies seems to suggest better equality for the Native Americans that haven’t had the same rights as U.S. citizens.
