If you haven’t yet heard, then you definitely didn’t read Political Watch before you flipped to this tawdry little column’s page. That pesky little piece of legislation known as HR 1157—which would, if passed, transfer the 1,400 acres known as Camp 4 into trust with the federal government—was up for a subcommittee hearing on June 15.
Unfortunately, and this is one of the only things you will hear me complain about when it comes to this paper, we go to press on Tuesdays, even though we hit northern Santa Barbara County news stands on Thursdays. So I didn’t get to watch said hearing before I wrote this column.
My feathers are positively drooping with disappointment. I bet it was jam-filled with passionate comments from both sides of the fee-to-trust line. Oh, that awe-inspiring fight dripping with spittle and historically-spurred antagonism. It comes with any discussion surrounding reservations, especially when it comes to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and its struggle to be recognized as a sovereign government by Santa Barbara County officials, who uninspiringly vote repetitively against the notion that a federally recognized tribe—and therefore, recognized as a sovereign entity by the federal government—should be seen as such at the county level.
Fortunately for the county, groups with names like Santa Ynez Valley Concerned Citizens, Save the Valley, and P.O.L.O. (the Board of Preservation of Los Olivos) are solidly in agreement with them. The Valley must be saved from the annoying habits of the tribe.
Guess what guys? The tribe was here first! They should be the ones who have to recognize the county as a government, but that ship sailed when our forefathers planted missions all over the great state of California.
Of course, my twittering voice wouldn’t be heard without that great blip in history, but back to HR 1157. P.O.L.O. called the bill “a targeted assault on our rights” in a recent email about the hearing.
Basically, the bill would take land the tribe already owns outright, which it claims is part of its historical land, and make it a reservation; it would rip control over the property—development, land use, taxes—out of the county’s hands and give that control to the tribe, under the thumb of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato testified at the hearing on behalf of the county. Tribal Chairman Vincent Armenta testified on behalf of the tribe. And, 5th District Supervisor Steven Lavagnino testified as well. I wish I could tell you what was said. I wish I could tell you what came of the hearing.
What I can tell you is this: The saga is far from over. With the legislation pushing on one end and an application tentatively approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs pushing on the other, this story’s got legs, and I’ll be keeping a close and beady eye on it.
The Canary likes a little bit of Santa Barbara County drama in her life. Send comments to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 18-25, 2015.
