LAKE COUNTY — With the goal of converting Rattlesnake Island from private land to a cultural center, the Elem Pomo Indian Tribe administrator met with Congressman Mike Thompson Monday for help.
Thompson advised Tribal Administrator Jim Brown to get support from the Lake County Board of Supervisors before trying to move forward with federal imminent domain or purchase of the island, Brown said.
He said the tribe wants the island “any way we can get it.”
Brown thinks the island was illegally taken from the tribe in the 1800s while current owner John Nady said he legally bought the land a few years ago.
Nady could not be reached for comment before press time.
Brown said including having tribal events on the island, they want to open the island for public access on occasion.
“We basically want it for our religious ceremonies,” Brown said. “We want to put our original roundhouse back up.”
However, at the time, the tribe doesn”t have the money to buy the land, Brown said.
Attorney Liam Griffin attended the meeting on Monday. He grew up in Clearlake and wrote his law school thesis on the tribe”s goal to take back Rattlesnake Island. He said he”s not part of the tribe. He brought the thesis to the meeting with Brown and Thompson.
“He redirected us and said, really, if you can get endorsement of the local community you”ve won half the battle,” Griffin said.
He said the tribe will try to get the board to offer a resolution supporting Elem Pomo ownership of Rattlesnake Island.
Griffin said if the federal government exercised imminent domain, Nady would have to be compensated.
Brown said he would take the issue to the tribal council and then to the board.
He thinks one good thing that has come from the property controversy is public knowledge of the island. Brown said it was like the capital of the tribe.
“I”m just so proud of the fact the majority of people are getting to know the true history of the island,” he said.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.?
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