VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Clark County commissioners plan to appeal a Bureau of Indian Affairs decision allowing the Cowlitz Tribe to establish a reservation in Clark County and draw closer to building a casino on it.
Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor Bronson Potter said Wednesday the county’s appeal of the Dec. 23 BIA decision will contend that it violates a U.S. Supreme Court ruling. That ruling restricted the federal government’s ability to take land into trust for tribes not under federal jurisdiction prior to 1934.
The Cowlitz Tribe was federally recognized in 2000.
Assistant Interior Secretary of Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk concluded the tribe was under federal jurisdiction from at least 1855.
Tribal Chairman William Iyall tells the Columbian the challenge could further delay casino construction, which isn’t expected to start for two years. But he says he’s confident the BIA decision will stand.
