The federal government should separate the recognition of tribes "from politics and the big money that has poured into the pipeline to promote Indian casino development," The New London Day says in an editorial.

The paper says casino backers have soured the process. The paper doesn't offer direct evidence to this point, citing only an internal Bureau of Indian Affairs memo and two lawsuits pending in state court. The paper doesn't say how gaming and/or politics influenced the memo or how the lawsuits have affected the recognition of any tribe.

"What really needs to happen is for Congress to revisit the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which started this whole mess," the paper says.

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Reform Tribal Recognition (The New London Day 4/4)
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