The federal government had been treating the Koi Nation as though it no longer had federal recognition since the 1950s, until finally, in 2000, the DOI admitted its mistake and reaffirmed the tribe’s status, the judge noted. At that point, the judge said, the Koi Nation should have been permitted to conduct gambling on its “restored lands” under IGRA, but the DOI wrongly found that the tribe was ineligible because its recognition was restored outside typical government channels.