Officials in northern California are asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to intervene in the federal restoration of the Wilton Miwok Rancheria.

The officials say the Interior Department shouldn't have agreed to a court settlement that led to recognition for the tribe. They claim the executive branch "usurped … congressional authority," The Sacramento Bee reported.

A federal judge approved the recognition agreement last month. An Indian law expert said the local officials don't have a say in the process.

"Federal recognition of a tribe is a matter of federal law," Joseph Wiseman of Empire College Law School told the paper. "They don't have a dog in that fight. They are not necessary parties."

The Me-Wuk Indian Community of the Wilton Rancheria filed a lawsuit against Interior in 2002. The Wilton Miwok Rancheria later joined the case.

The two groups are being recognized as one tribe though both claim leadership of the tribe.

Get the Story:
Elk Grove, Sacramento County alarmed that newly recognized tribe may seek Indian casino in Wilton (The Sacramento Bee 7/9)

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