Carrying signs saying, "Bono Mack, Where are you?" "Don't take our home for casinos," and other calls for help, a group of about 100 people rallied Thursday in front of the county courthouse in Riverside to complain about the impact they say local American Indian tribes are having on their property.

Cheryl Schmit, director of Stand up for California, an activist organization involved in tribal gaming issues, said those gathered wanted to bring attention to the conflict that sometimes exists between tribes and their neighbors.

"We seek justice to situations that citizens seem to be caught in the middle of," Schmit said. "This is not a unique issue in Riverside County. These are policy issues that we need solutions to." 
 
Lloyd Fields, at left, owns land in Banning and has been in a dispute with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians over access to his property, which he wants to develop. He was among several dozen people who gathered in Riverside hoping to draw attention to their disputes with tribes.

Speakers at the rally addressed situations involving three tribes: the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Soboba Indians and the Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT.

Roger French said residents along a 17-mile stretch of the Colorado River between Blythe and the Riverside County line have been forced to either renegotiate leases with CRIT at grossly increased prices, or face eviction. French and others with his group, West Bank Homeowner Association, contend that the reservation, most of which is in Arizona, doesn't include property on the California side of the river, meaning the tribe has no jurisdiction. The dispute goes back 50 years.

Most recently, tribal police evicted members of the Blythe Boat Club from their riverfront campsite area just north of Blythe. Years of negotiation had failed to bring a lease agreement that would have allowed the nonprofit organization to remain. Toni Hawley, the club's president, said the organization had recently uncovered documents showing the land does not belong to the tribe.
The club holds a deed on another portion of its property that she believes is still in effect.

Eric Sheppard, attorney for CRIT, said the land issue was laid to rest years ago.
"We've given folks a couple of options," Sheppard said. "One is to sign a new lease and pay their back rent over time. Or they can vacate the premises and we will waive all penalties. There are roughly 2,000 part-time residents. The vast majority are in good standing."

San Jacinto resident Jerry Uecker said he is concerned about a move by the Soboba Indian tribe to build a new casino and hotel on property near his mobile home park. Uecker said the development would isolate the mobile home community from the city.

"It's a significant threat to the quality of our lives," Uecker said. He wants city and county officials to reaffirm their opposition to the project.
Soboba's tribal information officer, Mike Hiles, said the project is working its way through the development process and is being evaluated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

"It's not a time for the tribe to comment," he said.
The Morongo Indian Reservation also drew complaints on Thursday.
Lloyd Fields said a guard shack and gate on Fields Road, which leads onto the reservation near Banning, is a hindrance to a 146-home subdivision he wants to build on property surrounded by reservation land.

He has filed a lawsuit claiming that the west half of Fields Road, which was named for his father, belongs not to the reservation, but to the city of Banning. He wants the gate and guard shack removed.

In an email, tribal spokesman Mike Fisher said, "This is a legal issue that will be resolved between the city of Banning and Mr. Fields. The Tribe is not a party to the lawsuit. Mr. Fields continues to be provided access through our reservation. All he has to do is show identification, as all visitors are required to do."
Schmit said the cases discussed at the rally show the need for local and federal officials to get involved.

"We want a solution to this long-term debate," she said.
Reach Mark Muckenfuss at 951-368-9595 or mmuckenfuss@PE.com