Printer-friendly version
By Miriam Raftery
April 25, 2024 (Washington D.C) – The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act (H.R.6443) authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), passed the House of Representatives on April 10.
H.R.6443 incorporates 172 acres of land in San Diego’s East County region into the Jamul Indian Village Reservation, placing the land into tribal trust and preserving it for generations to come. This area also includes a 100-year-old church (photo, left, by Miriam Raftery) and cemetery where their tribal lineage has rested for generations.
The acreage is currently owned by the Jamul Indian Village and includes residential land for homes and council buildings, an ancestral cemetery, and the tribe’s only road for transportation.
If approved by the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden, this would be a dramatic expansion of Jamul’s tribal lands, since the existing reservation has only six acres, most of which is occupied by the tribe’s casino and a hotel under construction.
“The Jamul Indian Village has endeavored for years to facilitate the best ways for tribal members to move onto reservation land in order to raise their families, preserve their native culture, and honor tribal customs and practices,” said Rep. Issa. “This fee-to-trust bill grants this historic tribe an opportunity to do just that. By placing Jamul’s land into trust, our legislation safeguards the reservation, its sacred sites, and Kumeyaay traditions so they will endure far into the future.”
House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-4) says, “The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that will positively impact the local Jamul Indian village for generations. Through continuous partnerships with tribes this Congress, we have been able to consistently help promote economic development for tribes across America, and that work continues today with the passage of H.R. 6443. I want to commend Representative Issa for his efforts to pass this bill through the House and his passionate leadership in promoting solutions for issues so close to his local communities.”
Recent comments