Federal officials have rejected a Native American tribe's plans to build a casino near the San Francisco Bay area city of Richmond.
The U.S. Department of Interior said on Friday that the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians had not demonstrated a significant historical connection to the proposed casino site.
The tribe had its federal recognition restored in 1991. Although it is currently headquartered about 80 miles away in Lake County, the site near Richmond would have been its first reservation.
Tribal officials had argued that their ancestral lands included the Richmond site. But federal officials say they failed to demonstrate that.
The Department of Interior on Friday did approve the application of the Ione Band of Miwok Indians for a casino in Amador County.
Feds Reject Tribe's Plan for Casino Near Richmond
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians had not demonstrated a significant historical connection to the proposed casino site, according to the U.S. Department of Interior.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
