Editor:

It may be hard for the local readership to garner much sympathy for an affluent developer building an 8,000-square-foot home, but I have real problems with the quote from Wiyot Tribal Chair Ted Hernandez's quote that "... it's our land, but we'll work with you" ("Broken Trust," Aug. 25). So now the precedent is not only so you have to jump through the hoops for the land commission, it's incumbent on whomever wants to build to go through whatever hoops a tribal council requires, as well. That's fine and fair where historical tribal cultural artifacts are located, but I take it Mr. Hernandez refers to the entire area, cultural artifacts found or not.

The gigantic Arcata Gateway project? There is no doubt in my mind that 200 years ago, many tribes hunted on that land. Likely cultural artifacts from those days, as well. I don't recall any tribal council that had veto power over that project. Or any of the expansions of the student body at Cal Poly Humboldt that will surely require a huge increase of student housing, all on land that generations ago was Indigenous hunting grounds. You can't blame Mr. Hernandez for seeking a tribal mandate over future projects not specifically on recognized tribal lands. Can't blame us for being skeptical of an apparent large expansion of tribal approval rights on land not recognized as tribal lands. With the exception of historical tribal cultural assets, of course.

John Dillon, Eureka