The feuding Native Americans of Enterprise Rancheria have split into two tribes.

About 50 tribal members who were disenrolled a few months ago have formed their own tribe - Indians of Enterprise No. 1.
"I talked it over with two different attorneys, and they said go ahead and form your own government," said Robert Edwards, who was elected Saturday as tribal chair of the new tribe.

Enterprise Rancheria officials were unavailable for comment Monday.

The tribe, based in Oroville, is trying to win federal and state approval for a hotel-casino in Yuba County, which it claims is part of its aboriginal territory.

In November, 70 tribal members were disenrolled from Enterprise Rancheria.

 
The expulsions are currently on appeal to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

"We're forming our own government," said Edwards, who was one of the disenrolled members. "We have a constitution."

Edwards said the new tribe has had federal recognition since 1915, based on land then controlled by his great-grandmother.

"Harvey Angle's family is the one who was terminated in 1964," Edwards said of the Enterprise Rancheria tribal chair.

"They made a statement that the land was taken from them. It was never taken from them."

In the early 1900s, the federal government bought two 40-acre parcels for the tribe, known as Enterprise 1 and Enterprise 2.

Enterprise 2 was sold to the state in 1964 to make way for Oroville Dam. Enterprise 1 remains in dispute and is "inaccessible," according to the application the tribe filed with BIA to take the Yuba County 40 acres into trust for the casino.

"We're saying we have all the legal rights to form our own government being Enterprise No. 1," Edwards said. "We're saying they don't have the right to be Enterprise. They formed their government on my great-grandmother's land. We say they have no right to do that."

By forming its own government, the new tribe hopes to secure federal funding.

"I want justice done for our tribe," Edwards said. "Then I want to get land so we can build houses for low income and the elderly. If something comes up with a casino later on, that would be fine. My goal would be to make sure we have land and housing for low income and the elderly."

Appeal-Democrat reporter Harold Kruger can be reached at 749-4717. You may e-mail him at harold_kruger@link.freedom.com.