The Redding Rancheria Tribe’s plans to build an expanded Win-River Resort & Casino in Shasta County are getting legal pushback from other tribal groups in the area.
A local coalition, the Speak Up Shasta Association, and two nearby tribes, the Wintu Tribe of Northern California and the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) for taking a plot of land into trust that was owned by the Redding Rancheria.
The land, known as Strawberry Fields, sits just off I-5 and the Bonnyview Rd. exit on the south side of Redding. The Redding Rancheria tribe has owned the land since 2004 and has planned to relocate and build a new tribal casino since 2019. It has experienced numerous efforts to derail those plans.
Strawberry Fields forever?
To build a new Northern California casino, the Redding Rancheria asked the DOI to take the Strawberry Fields land into trust. This is the process by which the DOI may take possession of land and hold it on behalf of the tribe, removing it from state jurisdiction and allowing the federal rules of tribal sovereignty to take precedence.
Once tribal-owned land is in trust, the tribe can develop a casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The BIA and DOI granted the designation in July 2024, concluding a process that began when it purchased the land two decades earlier.
However, IGRA does not allow tribes to use any land for casinos taken into trust after its passage in 1988 unless the land passes a “two-part determination,” meaning approval by the state’s governor and the DOI.
Under IGRA, land can only be taken into trust for the purpose of casino construction under one of two conditions:
- The land is “restored” land being returned to a tribe that previously had federal status, lost it, and got it back again.
- The state governor and the DOI agree that the casino would be beneficial to the tribe and not harmful to the surrounding community.
The Redding Rancheria tribe lost its status between 1959 and 1983 and was fully restored in 1987. It claims it has historical ties to Strawberry Fields which would qualify the parcel as restored land. The DOI eventually agreed, but the plaintiffs in the case dispute the claim.
If the land is not “restored land,” then consultation with the state would be necessary, something the Redding Rancheria Tribe and DOI have not conducted.
Significant land for multiple tribes
The lawsuit challenges the ruling that Strawberry Fields is restored land. Both other tribes also say it holds historical, cultural and religious significance, questioning the Rancheria’s rights to exclusively develop the land.
Under these claims, the tribes and Speak Up Shasta say the land should receive a “restored” determination.
The lawsuit further posits that if the land was not restored, the BIA was negligent, failing to consult with local governments and nearby tribes about whether an expanded Win-River Casino would be harmful to the community.
The Redding Rancheria’s current Win-River Casino sits three miles up the road from Strawberry Fields. The Paskentas operate Rolling Hills Casino in Corning, in Tehama County, 50 miles further south. The Wintus currently do not have a federal tribal designation and do not operate any tribal casinos.
Casino-related land disputes between tribes are common
Casino gaming is an important revenue stream for many tribes. However, casinos tend to fare better the less competition they face.
That being the case, in states where there are multiple federally-recognized tribes, it often happens that one will attempt to thwart another’s attempts to expand its casino footprint.
The Paskenta Band operates Rolling Hills Casino, about 45 minutes south along the I-5 from the proposed site for the Redding Rancheria casino. The Wintu Tribe lacks the federal status necessary to open a casino but is actively pursuing its application.
Even within California, another such case is playing out at the same time. Koi Nation is aiming for a new casino in Sonoma County, while the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria seek to block it. That battle currently seems to be going the way of Koi Nation.
Another such narrative unfolding in Michigan might be headed to the US Supreme Court. That case is the mirror image of the Strawberry Fields one, in that the DOI denied the Sault Ste.-Marie Tribe’s request to take land into trust, and the tribe is suing to try to overturn that decision. However, Detroit commercial casinos and another nearby casino-owning tribe have thrown their weight behind the DOI.
