Editorial: Casino not a good idea for tribe, Hamptons

Monday, September 6, 2004  

"Next on the docket in the court of ironic justice: Shinnecock Indian Nation v. Hamptons.

The Shinnecocks, among the poorer inhabitants of the South Fork, have tied their rich neighbors in knots with a campaign to build a casino in Hampton Bays. Where tribal leaders see a chance for self-sufficiency, their critics see pawn shops on Sunrise Highway, sewage slicks in the Great Peconic Bay and a string of gamblers' brake lights blinking as far as the eye can see.

Whoever is right, nothing much will happen soon. The Shinnecocks must clear major hurdles before ordering the bingo cards and skimpy cocktail outfits. The first is federal status; although the Shinnecocks have been recognized by New York State for 200 years, they cannot exercise a sovereign right to build a casino until the federal government recognizes them, too. Then there is the inevitable litigation - when the tribe tried last year to clear land for the casino on a 79-acre site it owns, the state sued to stop it temporarily. With construction delayed and the court case continuing, a rhetorical battle has raged on Web sites, in the press and in community meetings. The anger and suspicion between the tribe and local officials, particularly in the Town of Southampton, are enough to guarantee that any Foxwoods-style gambling mecca would have to rise from the ashes of an epic legal struggle."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Casinohampton (The New York Times 9/5)
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