Agua Caliente Band of Mission Indians v. County of Riverside

Plaintiff THE AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF MISSION INDIANS, by and through its Tribal Council (hereinafter referred to as AGUA CALIENTE) and plaintiffs DORA JOYCE PRIETO, PRISCILLA GONZALES, GLORIA GILLETTE, PATRICK PATENCIO and LAWRENCE PIERCE on their own behalf and as representative of all allottees of allotted land on the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation (hereinafter referred to as ALLOTTEES) bring this action against defendant COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE (hereinafter referred to as COUNTY) to permanently enjoin the assessment, levy and collection of possessory interest taxes and to recover damages.

Plaintiff AGUA CALIENTE is an American Indian Tribe recognized by the United States of America in the Mission Indian Relief Act of 1891 with its amendments and Public Law 86-339. By the Mission Relief Act, as amended, ALLOTTEES were individually allotted certain of the lands of the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation. All other lands of the reservation are unallotted tribal lands held for the benefit of the plaintiff AGUA CALIENTE. Both allotted and unallotted tribal lands are held by the United States, in trust, for plaintiffs ALLOTTEES and AGUA CALIENTE.

Plaintiffs jointly, in the aggregate, own…