Chumash Council says there will be no casino built on Diablo Canyon lands
The Diablo Canyon Power Plant is scheduled to be permanently shut down by 2025 and will then undergo the long process of decommissioning. With these events, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) will be working toward transferring ownership of 12,000 acres commonly referred to as the Diablo Lands. This includes the areas of Wild Cherry Canyon, South Ranch, North Ranch, and Parcel P (the site of the power plant).
All of the Diablo Lands are within the ancestral homelands of yak tityu tityu yak tiɨhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region, and were originally inhabited by our families at numerous village sites. However, the destructive ideologies of missionization, foreign diseases for which we had no immunity, the land grab of the Mexican rancho era and ongoing colonization killed many of us and displaced the rest. This land was taken from us without permission, agreement or compensation.
Village sites tstyɨwi , čanu, tsɨpxatu, petpatsu and wexetminu’ are among those on this Pecho Coast. Currently, the village site of tstyɨwi is undergoing restoration to eradicate invasive grasses as well as revegetation using native plants. Our Tribe, in a joint effort with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and PG&E, received a 2018 Governor’s Historic Preservation Award for the Research and Collaboration for the Restoration of Tstyɨwi on the Pecho Coast.
Numerous important cultural areas and landscapes including village sites are among the reasons we are actively pursuing the reacquisition of the Diablo Lands — to continue the stewardship as we have done for more than 10,000 years.
We know of the Diablo Lands not only from early writings, but from our own family stories. These stories continue to teach us and reaffirms our goal to maintain what is so incredibly special about these Lands: a place on the coast of California that is mostly untouched, with an abundance of cultural and environmental resources that could not withstand, nor ever recover from large destructive projects.
We intend to care for the Diablo Lands in such a way that it can thrive and its deep history can be respected. It is clear that many others besides indigenous people feel the same way. Our strategies to achieve this goal include our successful partnering with the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, continuing our participation in on-going local discussions, and conferring with various government agencies.
As we have engaged in numerous forums on the disposition of these Lands over the past few years, we are often asked about our Tribe’s stance regarding building a casino on the Diablo Lands. We have consistently responded that we would not ever be interested in doing so, but are aware there is still concern. To reassure the broader community, we are making the following statement:
On behalf of our Tribal Council, as chair, our Tribal position is that we have always been and will remain opposed to any gaming enterprise anywhere on the Diablo Lands. Any such use or the facilities that usually accompany a casino would be inappropriate for this spectacular place.
We’ve also been asked what happens if we change our minds? Our plan is to join the community in exploring conservation easements and/or deed restrictions to ensure that gaming enterprises are never allowed on any part of the Diablo Lands in perpetuity.
Planning the future of these Lands is a critical opportunity for us here today and for those yet to be born. It is an immense responsibility šumoqini (always).
In fulfilling that responsibility, there is no place for a gaming enterprise on the Diablo Lands.
Mona Olivas Tucker is chair of yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini, Northern Chumash Tribe, San Luis Obispo County and Region.