Indian Casino in El Toro’s Future?

The Juaneno Band of Mission Indians is joining the ranks of those eyeing a piece of the closed El Toro Marine base.

The tribe, which has topped a list of finalists for federal recognition status since 1995, includes the 4,700-acre base as part of its historical territory, stretching from Bolsa Chica to Camp Pendleton. If it gains recognition by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which tribal leaders hope will come next year, the tribe could make a claim for federal property within its aboriginal lands, including El Toro.

And that’s where things could get interesting. If the planets so align, Orange County could find itself home to a casino.

Gambling halls are operated by 46 of about 110 tribes in California, with more planned after state voters’ approval of Nevada-style Indian gaming in 1998 and 2000.

Federal recognition must come before any attempt to claim land for the tribe, Juaneno Chairman Damien Shilo said.

But a casino is a possibility, he said, because the federal government encourages economic development for tribes, including gambling. Other options include outlet stores or a power plant, Shilo said.

“There are so many variables for what could happen,” Shilo said. “I think it would be a very positive thing for the community. [El Toro] is an ideal location. We’ve got the best lot on the block.”

The fate of El Toro was thrown open this month when voters replaced Orange County’s plans to build an international airport there with zoning for a park and limited development.

The Navy then announced that it would decide by April 23 whether to sell the property to developers, who would build under the new zoning.

If the Indians were given land, however, it would be their sovereign territory and not subject to local zoning controls. A casino would be subject to the state regulations approved in 2000.

Shilo said the casino idea would be dropped if enough residents in nearby cities opposed it. Tribal leaders still smart from the drubbing the tribe got in 1997 when word leaked that some members had signed an agreement with Las Vegas investors to buy 20 acres in San Juan Capistrano for a casino. City leaders quickly denounced the idea, saying a casino would ruin the city’s small-town flavor.

Efforts to recognize the Gabrielino-Tongva Nation in Ventura County were opposed last year by Ventura County Dist. Atty. Michael Bradbury, who warned that the gaming industry considers Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties “large, untapped markets.”

But a well-run gambling hall would be an attractive and lucrative addition, Shilo said. Its revenue could help fund improvements at the base, such as golf courses and hotels, he said. The Pechanga Band of Mission Indians in San Diego County and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Riverside County use some of their millions in casino revenue to donate police and firefighting equipment to area agencies, for example.

“It’s the equivalent of six Costcos in your city,” said Shilo of casino revenue.

Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Cynthia P. Coad said federal recognition of the tribe is the first step, and that anything else that happens would fall within the authority of the federal government.

If the tribe were to gain land at El Toro, it should be free to build a casino, she said.

“We’re very proud of the heritage and history that this group of Indians has in Orange County and Southern California,” she said.

Earlier this year, supervisors urged federal recognition for the Juanenos, who first applied for official status in 1982.

The tribe, also known as the Acjachemen, uses the name Juanenos because of Mission San Juan Capistrano, which they helped build. The tribe would be the first in Orange County to gain federal recognition; it received state recognition in 1993.

Federal recognition is far from guaranteed. Since the Federal Acknowledgment Program was established in 1978 to handle modern claims, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has recognized only nine tribes out of 147 petitions. Four more tribes have been granted sovereign status by Congress. The federal government recognizes 561 tribes nationally, according to the bureau.

A bureau spokesman said the agency won’t comment on the pending recognition application.

Indian tribes in California have gained political clout in recent years, fueled by a wealth of campaign contributions that casinos have made with their proceeds. California tribes spent $68 million in 1998 on the ballot measure legalizing casinos on reservations, which passed overwhelmingly but was overturned by a federal judge. Tribes spent $24 million more on a replacement measure two years later, which got 65% of the vote. That measure ratified a deal between Gov. Gray Davis and tribes that gave them monopoly rights to operate Nevada-style casinos in California.

From 1995 to 1998, California tribes accounted for $8.5 million in contributions to state legislators, including those from Orange County. From January 1999 to June 2001, seven tribes with major casino operations spent $32 million on California campaigns, according to a review of campaign reports filed with the state.

Advocates for a park, museums, university, housing and sports fields at El Toro dismissed the casino idea as too remote to worry about. But those who still hope to see an airport built at El Toro said the prospect of the Indians getting a slice of the base is intriguing because the land wouldn’t be subject to local control.

“I think the Juaneno tribe could operate a wonderful airport there, and they could have duty-free shops,” said pro-airport consultant David Ellis.