All posts tagged: Dehe

Yocha Dehe slams Vallejo Council over rushed casino deal approval process

Yocha Dehe slams Vallejo Council over rushed casino deal approval process

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation has sharply rebuked Vallejo leaders after a divided City Council approved an agreement clearing the way for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians to pursue a temporary gaming facility. Tribal leaders said the city rushed through the decision, limited public scrutiny and weakened confidence in local government. Council members voted 4-2 in favor of the Memorandum of Understanding. Councilmembers Tonia Lediju and Alexander Matias voted no, while Mayor Andrea Sorce was absent from the meeting. Under the reported deal, Scotts Valley would pay Vallejo $502,000 in each of the agreement’s three years to offset demands on police and other city services. The package also includes an additional $100,000 up front in the first year. City documents say that the annual total contains $12,698 in lieu of property tax and $27,302 for administrative support. Another $100,000 each year would go to a local nonprofit selected in coordination with the city. The proposed temporary site would sit on tribal land near the Interstate 80 and Highway 37 interchange. In a statement …

Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation calls temporary Vallejo casino ‘deeply hurtful to Patwin people’

Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation calls temporary Vallejo casino ‘deeply hurtful to Patwin people’

After the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians decided to move ahead with a temporary casino in Vallejo despite legal obstacles, a Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation spokesperson responded to the move. Plans by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians to open a casino in the city of Vallejo were met with opposition in March 2025, when the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the Kletsel Dehe Nation filed a joint lawsuit blocking the move. They argued that the land sits on Patwin ancestral territory and that the Bureau of Indian Affairs should have properly consulted them before moving ahead with the plans. The conflict continues That didn’t stop the Scotts Valley Band from moving forward with the plans once again at the end of last year, with a possible opening date as soon as this month. A spokesperson from the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation told ReadWrite that the decision is “deeply hurtful” and a “short-term cash grab”. “Despite repeatedly telling the City of Vallejo and the public that it was moving forward with a government …