Vallejoan

This letter was sent out by the Cotina Band of Wintun Indians and the Yocha Dehe Winton Nation.

Dear Tribal Government:

On behalf of the sovereign tribal governments of the Yocha Dehe Winton Nation and Cortina Band of Wintun Indians, we write to seek your Tribe's formal public support of our effort to protect sacred sites within our ancestral lands at Glen Cove in the City of Vallejo. You may have heard of plans by the City and Greater Vallejo Recreation District to build a park on land there.

You also may be aware of the growing encampment there. This encampment is against the wishes of the Yocha Dehe and Cortina tribal governments. Individuals within this encampment have both marred and publicly disclosed the sacred burial sites, and their presence directly threatens the sanctity and security of these sacred sites.

The tribal governments of Yocha Dehe and Cortina are striving to exercise their sovereign rights to save their ancestral sites at Glen Cove, an area that is culturally affiliated to the Patwin tribes only. Yet others, including participants in the encampment, improperly claim authority over our burial sites and remains. This is the highest level of disrespect in Indian country. The truth is other tribes did temporarily visit and camp here long ago, but then went home to their own lands. It is improper for them to now lay claim to these areas as their "ancestral" land.

Three generations of Patwin people, including those designated the "Most Likely Descendant" representative by the Native American Heritage Commission, (see enclosed documentation), have worked to protect the Glen Cove site in Vallejo. Now, with fully-staffed cultural resource departments, Yocha Dehe and Cortina are completely prepared to assume this sacred burial site at Glen Cove.

To that end, Yocha Dehe and Cortina are working on a collaborative solution under California law (SB18), which allows Tribal governments to hold Cultural and Conservation Easements to protect their sacred sites. The Tribes are negotiating a Cultural Easement with the City that would enhance our ability to protect the sites from discovery and depredation. Though the Easement, we could proactively protect these sites by working with the City and Recreation District to (1) prevent public disclosure of burial sites (whether presently known or unknown); (2) minimize and avoid disturbance of any sites to the greatest extent possible; and (3) ensure that the Tribes traditions and cultural values are respected and honored in connection with the discovery and treatment of any sites that may be uncovered during or after construction. The Easement would give the Tribes heightened consultation rights, and enable the Tribes to work with the City and Recreation District to restore the Property, in perpetuity, to its native state, while protecting and respecting the sanctity of the sites.

We seek your open and public support for the Easement, and our fundamental right and ability to exercise authority over sacred burials and remains on our ancestral lands, Enclosed are a model letter and model resolution, and we ask your Tribe to consider approving either one or both model documents. Please provide a signed "hard" copy to the City of Vallejo with copies to various City and Recreation District representatives. We would appreciate your keeping us informed of your support by sending an electronic copy of your letter or resolution to djones [at] yochadehe-nsn.gov.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact either of us.

Sincerely,

signed by Marshall McKay, Chairman, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation

and Charlie Wright, Chairman, Cortina Band of Wintun Indians