The Narragansett Tribe has hired the AndersonTuell law and lobbying firm to push for a critical change in the Rhode Island Indian Claims Settlement Act.

The law subjects the tribe to state civil and criminal jurisdiction. A subsequent amendment, inserted after the tribe won a court case, bars the tribe from engaging in gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

AndersonTuell has presented draft proposals to address the gaming prohibition. Michael Anderson, a former Bureau of Indian Affairs official during the Clinton administration, also said it would address broader sovereignty concerns.

The tribe has tried to open a casino off the reservation by going through state laws. But voters have rejected the proposal.

However, a recent poll showed support for an on-reservation casino if the gaming prohibition were repealed. But key Rhode Island lawmakers oppose any change to the settlement act.

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Tribe, town pushing agendas (The Providence Journal 5/10)
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