About 150 members of the Coast Miwok Tribe of California turned out for a meeting to protest how their allegations of hate crimes were treated.

Tribal members felt threatened by the responses to a mass mailing the tribe sent out. Residents wrote things like "Indian speak with forked tongue," "Go back to your Indian land," "The only good Indian is a dead Indian," and "Dead Indians upcoming" on informational cards.

The Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights agreed that it could have dealt with the situation better. The commissioners voted unanimously to help the tribe and formalize a response to the complaints.

Get the Story:
Graton tribe wins hearing (The Santa Rosa Press-Democrat 1/27)

Relevant Links:
Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria - http://www.coastmiwok.com

Related Stories:
Calif. tribe accuses county of ignoring racism (1/26)