The Amah Mutsun are a deeply divided Indian tribe. Serious
charges have been made by one tribal faction regarding the
submission of forged, fraudulent documents to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs.
The Amah Mutsun are a deeply divided Indian tribe. Serious charges have been made by one tribal faction regarding the submission of forged, fraudulent documents to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The situation, detailed in reporter Serdar Tumgoren’s Aug. 27 story, is messy enough without the additional complication of Rep. Mike Honda’s bill, HR 3475, a classic piece of special-interest legislation that would require the BIA to make a decision on the Amah Mutsun application for federal recognition of sovereignty within one year. This would not only give the Amah Mutsun privileged treatment compared to all of the other tribes waiting for the BIA to act on their applications, it also puts the cart before the horse.
Before any decision is made on whether the Amah Mutsun should be a federally recognized sovereign Indian nation, the question of who the Amah Mutsun are must be answered. It’s not right for Honda to propose imposing a special deadline for any tribe, but it’s reckless and irresponsible in the case of the Amah Mutsun tribe.
That’s why we hope that Congressman Richard Pombo will insert a note of sanity into this situation by calling for an investigation by the Inspector General’s Office. Because there’s no hope that the BIA, which takes decades to make decisions sovereignty applications, will be able to investigate the fraud and forgery claims in anything resembling a timely manner, it’s time to take the matter to the next level.
With the time pressure imposed by Honda’s pending legislation – these serious claims must be investigated before Congress votes on his ill-advised bill – we urge Pombo to get the Inspector General’s office involved in investigating this case.
Were documents forged? Who is the legitimate leader of the Amah Mutsun tribe? How should membership in the tribe be determined?
These are important questions that must be answered – during the lifetimes of those who make the accusations and those they accuse – and the only way that can happen is for the Inspector General’s Office to become involved.
The outcome of this case has ramifications not only for the Amah Mutsun tribe but also for all of South Valley, since the possible development of Sargent Ranch, 6,500 acres just south of Gilroy, could take place if Honda’s ill-conceived bill passes.
Honda has authored irresponsible legislation that increases the pressure for a thorough airing of these serious charges. Let’s hope Pombo steps in to help resolve this situation by calling for an investigation by the Inspector General’s Office.
That’s the fair, forthright course of action and we’re counting on Congressman Pombo to do the right thing.
