Ryan.Hunter@bia.gov

Harley.Long@bia.gov

IAPolicy_and_Directives@bia.gov 

Cc: info@wopumnes.com

October 19, 2026

RE: Public Request for Compliance with Assistant Secretary Kirkland's September 30, 2026 Directive; Correction of Federal Records Concerning the Historic Shingle Springs Rancheria

To: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional Office

Dear Bureau of Indian Affairs:

I am writing as a concerned member of the public to request immediate compliance with Assistant Secretary William Kirkland's September 30, 2026 directive under 25 C.F.R. § 2.604, to correct the federal lineage records of the historic 1935 Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) electorate of Shingle Springs Rancheria in El Dorado County, California.

On September 29, 2026, the Department of the Interior's Office of the Solicitor issued a memorandum identifying a 60-year-old error in BIA's determination of the historic Shingle Springs Tribe (the Wopumnes of El Dorado County). The memorandum confirms that the historic Shingle Springs Tribe of El Dorado County, established under the 1935 Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), was never terminated.   DOI Solicitors and BIA Regional Staff agreed that Wesly Yielding's lineage to the historic 1935 Shingle Springs IRA electorate must, by law, be affirmed and Snyder Act government services provided. The myth that the historic tribe was terminated is busted!   Under federal law and the 2015 Sheep Ranch precedent, the United States must make the Wopumnes Tribe whole by restoring its rightful federally recognized status, rancheria rights, and federal benefits as the historic 1935 IRA Shingle Springs Indians.

The effect of this is the ejection of the Sacramento-Verona Business Group from the Shingle Springs Rancheria.

The public has a legitimate interest in ensuring that federal agencies maintain accurate records and comply with lawful directives to correct errors without unreasonable or unlawful delay.

Accurate federal records describing Federally Recognized Tribes are essential to CEQA and NEPA compliance, particularly where Tribal identity, government-to-government consultation, ancestral lands, and cultural resource protections affect public decision-making in El Dorado County.

PUBLIC REQUEST FOR FEDERAL ACTION

As a member of the public, I respectfully request that the Bureau of Indian Affairs:

1. The Pacific Office immediately comply with Assistant Secretary Kirkland's September 30 directive and provide the written response required under 25 C.F.R. § 2.604.

2. Correct the identified lineage error concerning Wesly Yielding's descent through Manuel Wing Padilla, consistent with the DIA Solicitor's September 29 memorandum and applicable law.

3. Provide public accountability concerning the status of the required corrective action, including the responsible BIA office and anticipated completion date, to the extent legally disclosable.

4. Ensure the accuracy of federal records relied upon by state and local governments, including records relevant to Tribal consultation and cultural resource protection.

5. Notify appropriate California agencies and local governments of any operative federal corrections that affect governmental consultation or other public administrative proceedings.

6. Provide a written acknowledgment and response explaining the action taken to comply with the Assistant Secretary's directive.

SEPARATE MATTER: WOPUMNES TRIBAL CLAIMS

The Wopumnes people maintain that they are the continuing historic Tribal community associated with the original 1935 IRA electorate of Shingle Springs Rancheria.

The restoration of their historic Tribal governmental standing, recognition of their continuing identity, and resolution of disputed federal administrative records affecting their rights and representation is mandatory in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. 

The Wopumnes dispute the historical basis for the "Sacramento-Verona" business organization's exercise of governmental authority as the "Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians" designation.

These are claims advanced by the Wopumnes themselves and require separate consideration and formal determination by the appropriate federal authorities.

My request as a member of the public is that the Bureau fulfill its existing administrative obligations, correct identified errors, and maintain accurate records upon which the public and other government agencies can rely.

Federal accountability and accurate historical records are matters of public interest, regardless of the ultimate resolution of the Wopumnes' Tribal claims.

Please acknowledge receipt of this correspondence and provide a written response.

Respectfully,

[Name]

[City, California]

Reference:

United States Department of the Interior, Office of the Solicitor, Recommendation on Yielding Agency Inaction Appeal, September 29, 2026, pp. 3–4.