Two years ago we brought you the story of a local band of Native Americans, lobbying the government for federal recognition.
This week, the tribe got the news it's been waiting so long to hear.
But, what will it mean to the tribe and could it bring a casino to Kern County?
The Tejon Indians lived on a reservation in the hills of what is now Tejon Ranch, beginning in the 1850s.
But, over the years tribal members moved out, and a paperwork error by the federal government caused the tribe to lose its recognition in 1967.
Two years ago, 17's Tami Mlcoch was invited to be part of a sacred ritual with the Tejon Indians.
A prayer circle then a ten-mile journey down a bumpy, dirt road to a small cemetery, where tribal elders and others are buried. And, what the Tejon tribe used to call home.
Tribal Chair Kathryn Montes Morgan spent the last 14 years trying to re-gain federal recognition for her tribe, and this week she got the news she was longing to hear.
"What it means to my tribe, it's something that has been denied all our people all their lives. And, now to have somebody stamp a piece of paper and say 'you're legitimate' and be recognized, is amazing," she said.
Montes Morgan submitted mountains of documents to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2006, including a copy of the treaty signed between the federal government and the tribe in 1851.
After realizing the tribe was mistakenly left off the list in 1967, the government called Montes Morgan this week to tell her they are back on it.
"Something very interesting happened today. We called Indian Health Services because that's one of the things that's going to happen right away is that my tribal members will be able to access health services for themselves and their families which is very important because we have family members that are sick and they don't take medicines because they can't afford to go the doctor, they can't afford their medications," she explained.
Tribal members will also look for an area of Kern County where they can settle and build housing, a school and other things Native Americans are entitled to.
But, will that land include a casino?
A Las Vegas businessman spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help the tribe gain federal recognition, with his sights set on a casino in Kern County.
But, Montes Morgan says there are no plans for one in the immediate future.
"This federal recognition guarantees the tribe the right to pursue any kind of economic development to further take care of our people," she explained. "And, right this minute it has been discussed, but that's so far in the future that I can't even see where it's gonna begin."
Montes Morgan says they have not settled on a location for a reservation.
But, one thing is certain, it will not be in the Tejon Ranch area.
