Chemehuevi Indian Tribe v. California

The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians (“Coyote Valley”) contends that the State of California (“the State”) has refused to negotiate in good faith with the tribe to conclude a Tribal-State compact, as required by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act ' (“IGRA”), 25 U.S.C. § 2710 (d)(3)(A), and moved in the district court for an order that would require it to do so, 25 U.S.C. § 2710 (d)(7)(B)(iii). In a carefully considered decision, the district court denied the motion and entered judgment for the State. We agree with the district court that the State has negotiated in good faith within the meaning of IGRA. We therefore AFFIRM.

I. Background

The historical background against which Coyote Valley and the State negotiated is important to an understanding of this case. We begin with the events leading up to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, 480 U.S. 202 , 107 S.Ct. 1083 , 94 L.Ed.2d 244 (1987). In the 1970s, some California tribes began to operate bingo halls on their lands as a way to generate revenue. “Such activities were controversial because the tribes generally refused to comply with state gambling lawrs, a situation…