The U.S. Navy says it won't turn over surplus federal property to the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs asked for the 260 acres on Aquidneck Island on behalf of the tribe. But the Navy said it could not transfer the land for free or waive the costs of an environmental cleanup.

The tribe could still try to acquire the land through a public conveyance process, the Navy said.

Under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, the tribe cannot follow the land-into-trust process because it wasn't "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934. The tribe didn't gain formal recognition until 1983.

Get the Story:
Tribe loses bid for Navy land (The Providence Journal 4/7)
Navy rejects BIA request for island land (Providence Business News 4/6)

Supreme Court Decision Carcieri v. Salazar:
Syllabus | Opinion [Thomas] | Concurrence [Breyer] | Dissent [Stevens] | Concurrence/Dissent [Souter]

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Narragansett Tribe seeks surplus Navy property (06/10)
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