Democratic Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler Monday introduced bipartisan legislation to place 172 acres of land into trust for the benefit of the Jamul Indian Village, with Republican Rep. Darrell Issa leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
According to the senators, the Jamul Tribe’s ancestral lands have diminished from more than 640 acres to just six, making it one of the smallest reservations in the country.
In 2005, Jamul tribal members “voluntarily moved off of the reservation to allow the tribe to pursue economic development to become self-sufficient and less reliant on the federal government,” a joint statement from the senators read. Since then, the Jamul Indian Village has purchased four parcels of land, comprising 172 acres.
The act introduced in Congress would allow the tribe to place these lands in trust in order to “bring their tribal members back to live on their reservation and develop a permanent and proper homeland.”
“This critical legislation will help bring our people back to the community that has been our home from the beginning of time,” said Erica M. Pinto, chairwoman of the Jamul Indian Village. “It will also achieve the restoration and protection of our culturally significant ancestral lands.”
“By bringing the land we own into trust, Congress will help our tribe honor our ancestors and their sacrifices,” she said.
The largest parcel is an L-shaped piece of land comprising around 161 acres just off State Route 94 in the Jamul community. Tribal leaders plan to develop housing for tribal members and establish administrative offices, a health clinic, a child care center, educational services, a community center, law enforcement offices and other community resources for tribal members.
“After years of sacrifice in their efforts to achieve self-determination, the Jamul Indian Village deserves a true homeland to preserve their sacred history and bring together generations to come,” Padilla said. “I am honored to work alongside the Jamul Indian Village to enhance the tribe’s community development and permanently safeguard their home for the benefit of their members.”
The other, far smaller parcels contain the only physical access road to the reservation and the tribe’s historical church and cemetery.
“This legislation is important and necessary to honor the Jamul Tribe’s sovereignty over their native homeland,” Butler said. “Generations of tribal members stand to benefit from the economic development made possible by this bill, and I’m proud to be part of the effort ensuring the Jamul Indian Village can permanently reclaim and restore their ancestral territory.”
City News Service contributed to this article.
