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Casino Seeker's Tribal Ties Disputed

CALIFORNIA – As reported by the Lodi News: "The man looking to build a casino resort at Flag City, west of Lodi, comes from a tribe currently divided by a feud and unrecognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

"William Bill says he is the tribal chief of the Winnemucca Indian Colony, but that claim has been disputed by another tribal family, the Wassons.

"Glen Wasson, a former tribe leader, questioned Bill's involvement in the tribe in 2000. The dispute became even more intense when Wasson was found stabbed to death that same year.

"Currently, that fight is in federal and tribal courts, where it's been for years, and until it is resolved the bureau does not recognize anyone as a tribal leader or even the tribe itself.

"…It is unclear if the apparent ambiguity of the Winnemucca tribe's status would affect Bill's efforts to build a casino.

"…The Winnemucca Indian Colony does not receive federal money, Bill said, so it is not beholden to any decisions on opinions by the BIA.

"…Winnemucca, a small town northeast of Reno with a population of a little more than 7,000, is the tribe's ancestral home…"

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