Max Peters and his son, Wesley, were "Mission Indians."  They resided on land reserved for Native people who did not live in tribal relations and, instead, lived like other American citizens. The land on which the Peters lived was within the exterior boundaries of the Pauma School District of San Diego County, California. Despite this, the district denied Wesley admission to his nearby public school. The trial court ruled that because the Peters lived on land not considered a reservation, Wesley should be admitted to the school. The District appealed, saying Wesley was a resident of an Indian reservation. It would not have been in California’s state interest to declare the land an Indian reservation. Therefore, the court disagreed and ruled in the Peters’ favor.