Photos: A concern over tribal recognition

Scott Gabaldon is the tribal chairman of the Mishewal Wappo, who have lived in the Napa region for centuries. The Wappo were a recognized tribe until 1959, when the two families that were living full time on its reservation agreed to terminate federal status in return for the deed to the land. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Nov. 1, 2014 10 AM PT

To Napa Valley winemakers, the idea of a giant casino or big-box store sprouting up amid their manicured vineyards is almost too distressing to consider. But an effort now underway to reform federal rules governing recognition of Native American tribes is forcing them to think about it.

The Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria built a 340,000-square-foot casino complex in Sonoma County after they won federal recognition, despite telling backers in Washington, D.C., that they would not do so. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Scott Gabaldon, tribal chairman of the Mishewal Wappo, looks out over the Alexander Valley. “I hate talking about a casino,” he said. “That is not what this fight is about. A casino is not important to us. Housing is what is important. Healthcare is what is important.” (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Scott Gabaldon drives through the Pepperwood Preserve to an area that overlooks the valley his tribe once occupied. The prospect of the Wappo being able to establish tribal territory in Napa is what has many non-Indian residents worried. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Vineyards dot the landscape of Alexander Valley, where the Mishewal Wappo tribe once thrived. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has warned the Obama administration not to give the Wappo sovereignty unless the recognition comes with unprecedented restrictions on development. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

A deer makes its way through the Pepperwood Preserve. According to Rep. Mike Thompson, a Democrat from Napa, the current effort to change the tribal recognition process is illegal. Only Congress can alter the rules, he said -- a position the Obama administration has rejected. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)