In a July 2 article in The Press Democrat, "Lyttons want home to replace officials' broken promises”,  I note a few inaccuracies of which the public should be aware.
    The ‘Lytton Band of Pomo’ was created in 1991 as part of a settlement agreement. Prior to that time there was no Lytton Band, and no home for a Lytton Band to be lost. (Documentation can be found at www.sonic.net/windsorwest/history.htm)
In 1928, Congress created a “Lytton Rancheria” for homeless Indians. For 10 years the land was unoccupied, farmed by the Salvation Army. In 1938, Mary and Bert Steele of Round Valley received permission to occupy the Rancheria. Shortly after, Mary’s brother, John Myers and his wife Dolores, of Bodega Bay, moved onto the property with the Steeles. From 1938 to 1958, the two families occupied the Rancheria. There were no other occupants of record.
The BIA promised to build roads, provide wells and distribution lines, and did so. There were no broken promises. The cost of these improvements became a lien against the land.
    In 1952, the Myers petitioned the BIA for a deed to the part of the property they occupied. There was no authority for the BIA to grant such a request.
    In 1954, The Steeles joined the Myers in a campaign of petitioning the BIA for deeds to the Rancheria. In 1958 PL-671 was enacted by the 85th Congress, known as the Rancheria Bill, which authorized the BIA to disseminate the Rancherias.
    In 1959, at the request of the Myers and Steeles, the Rancheria was terminated, the indebtednesses (for roads, wells and maintenance) were forgiven, and the land distributed in 8 parcels to the Myers and the Steele family. The families occupied the land rent-free for 20 years; at the end of that time, they were given the land (valued at about $40,000) in fee simple title.
    By 1961, the Steeles began selling off their parcels. The Myers sold their 25 acres for $21,500. The last of the seven parcels held by members of the Steele family sold in 1964, bringing the family’s total recovery to about $18,000.
All during this time, the occupants were never considered a ‘Band’ of Pomo or any other tribe. That is until 1991, when they negotiated their way into ‘Band’ status by way of a settlement agreement. This Band includes children and grandchildren of the Steeles, but otherwise has no ties to Lytton, and certainly none to Windsor.
    In my review of the record so far, I see no evidence of broken promises -- a lot of conniving, perhaps, but no promises to be broken.