"The Shinnecock Indians would like their land back - 3,600 acres to start, including the Southampton College campus, the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and Shinnecock Hills, a resort community. They want back rent, too - it must total billions by now. They know this is a lot to ask, and if it's too much of a hardship, they might just drop their legal actions and settle for something simpler, like a casino.

An aggressive land claim may give the Shinnecocks leverage in their pursuit of federal status and casino riches, just as it did for the Mashantucket Pequots across the Sound. But the tribe's leaders may have overreached; some members are already wary about being bamboozled by the out-of-state casino developers who are financing this legal gambit.

Whatever the historic merits of the claim, we urge the tribe to abandon it, rather than burn every last bridge to its allies in the community and thwart the search for a less-destructive long-term source of financial security. There can be many paths to wealth in the Hamptons, but the Foxwoods route must not be one of them."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Taking Back the Hamptons (The New York Times 7/17)
pwnyt

Relevant Links:
Shinnecock Nation - http://www.shinnecocknation.com

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