Alaska Native village to resubmit Class II request

Friday, July 6, 2007  

The Alaska Native village of Eklutna plans to resubmit its request to conduct Class II gaming on its lands.

In April, the village asked the National Indian Gaming Commission to approve a gaming ordinance and to determine that 8.5 acres is Indian Country. The parcel is an allotment created under the 1906 Alaska Native Allotment Act.

Late last month, the village withdrew its original proposal in order to make some technical changes to the ordinance. "No major changes will be made, just some clarifications," attorney Marissa Flannery told The Alaska Star.

The U.S. Supreme Court in 1998 ruled that land conveyed to villages under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act is not Indian Country. The justices left open the question of whether allotments are Indian Country.

Get the Story:
Eklutna withdraws application for Indian gaming permit (The Alaska Star 7/6)