Elk Grove to consider flying Wilton Rancheria tribal flag outside City Hall
Elk Grove City leaders on Wednesday will consider approving the raising of a new flag outside City Hall.
The Wilton Rancheria, which owns Sky River Casino, is asking the city to begin flying its tribal flag outside Elk Grove City Hall.
Currently, the only flags allowed there are the U.S. flag, the California state flag, and Elk Grove's city flag.
The tribe recently purchased the majority ownership of the Sacramento Republic FC.
"We are proud of the partnerships that we have built with Elk Grove," said Jesus Tarango, the chairman of Wilton Rancheria.
Wilton Rancheria has worked closely with the city in the past and at the beginning of each city council meeting, a statement is read as a reminder that Elk Grove is located in the tribe's ancestral territory.
"We honor, respect and acknowledge Elk Grove's first inhabitants, the Plain Miwoks," said Elk Grove Vice Mayor Sergio Robles.
.
"There is a flag code," said William Franco, a commander of the Veterans Affiliated Council.
Franco said there's no rule against flying a sovereign nation's flag next to Old Glory, but certain conditions must be met.
"There's nothing that prohibits that," Franco said. "It's just you want to make sure that ours is the uppermost."
If approved, the tribal flag would be displayed on a new 25-foot-tall flagpole that would be lower than the U.S. flag and at the same level as the California flag. It would be flown year-round, 24 hours a day.
"If that's something that the local community wants, then they should have that," Franco said.
It's a new, unwavering effort to honor sacramento's only federally recognized Native American tribe.
"We know that you are committed to not only our city but the entire region. These are your lands," Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen said.
Tribal flag supporters are hoping to raise it for the first time at City Hall during November's Native American Heritage Month.
