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 center, Scotts Valley has decided to blatantly ignore warnings from both the Department of the Interior and the court and move forward with a ‘preview casino’ while its gaming eligibility is under review by the federal government,” said Chairman Anthony Roberts.

“The City of Vallejo would be ill-served to provide scarce city services to facilitate this irresponsible development that may be defunct in only a months’ time.

“Beyond the legal uncertainty, this move is deeply hurtful to Patwin people, who have deep ancestral and cultural ties to this land. It treats our history, our sovereignty, and our lived connection to this place as an obstacle to be brushed aside for a short-term cash grab.”

According to the Times-Herald, Scotts Valley Chairman Shawn Davis said: “We are moving forward despite the misleading opposition from a small handful of greedy casino operators led by Cache Creek.”

The temporary casino would be in place until the US Department of the Interior reviews its earlier approval of the project, which was issued on January 10, 2025. It’s unclear how long this process could take.

Featured image: Canva / Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation

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