Keep Pombo out of our land claim affairs

So now that the federal courts have pretty much said Indian nations in New York cannot claim land they own as sovereign, here comes a congressman from California who says he will settle the matter once and for all.

Pardon us, U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo, but we don't need your intervention.

Pombo, R-Calif., has made statements recently about New York's land claim cases that can only be described as arrogant and misguided. As the chair of the House Committee on Resources, he oversaw a hearing on land claim issues earlier this year. Apparently after listening to a handful of speakers in a room in Washington, he thinks he has more expertise on the issue than any of us who live here.