Tribes seeking off-reservation casinos get BIA letters

Wednesday, March 7, 2007  

About two dozen tribes seeking off-reservation casinos have received letters from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The letters warn the tribes about the political atmosphere surrounding "reservation shopping." The BIA cites potential negative Congressional action but doesn't mention that bills to restrict the practice failed to pass the House and Senate last year.

No similar bills have been proposed so far by any members of Congress.

The BIA also says the distance between a tribe's reservation and a casino site will be an issue. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, however, doesn't provide any grounds to reject, or approve, a casino based merely on distance.

The first letter was apparently sent to the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe of New York back in December. The Menominee Nation of Wisconsin received one February 13.

The letters were sent only to tribes with two-part determination applications, which require the state governor's concurrence.

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