Graton Rancheria leader presses for casino

Monday, August 21, 2006  

Up until the 1980s, Greg Sarris didn't know he was Miwok. Now he's leading the Graton Rancheria as the California tribe pushes a controversial casino proposal.

Sarris, 54, was adopted and was told about his birth mother in the 1970s. It took him several years before he found out his father was the grandson of a prominent Coast Miwok elder.

The tribe now embraces Sarris, an accomplished author, as one of its own. After regaining federal recognition through an act of Congress, he is pressing for federal approval of a casino in the Bay Area, a proposal that has alienated former allies like Sen. Barbara Boxer (D), who claims the tribe promised not to pursue gaming.

The act of Congress gives the tribe the right to seek land in certain areas but the casino plan is behind schedule, according to The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat.

Get the Story:
Son of a tribe reborn pushes for a casino (The Sacramento Bee 8/21)
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