Mashpee Wampanoag investor sticks with tribe

Monday, January 5, 2009  

A real estate developer says he's sticking with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts, even after spending $15 million in hopes of landing a stake in a future casino.

"Even after 10 years, you would say who would do such a thing, who would stick with a tribe for 10 years and fund 10 years and never give up hope?" Herb Strather of Detroit, Michigan, told The Cape Cod Times. "I can truthfully tell you after 10 years, I still love the tribe, I'm sure I would die for the tribe."

The tribe's federal recognition was finalized in May 2007 but a casino is far away. Though tribal leaders expect approval of their land-into-trust applications sometime this year, full-scale Class III gaming is not yet legal in Massachusetts.

The tribe also suffered a major setback with the resignation and indictment of former chairman Glenn Marshall. His successor, Shawn Hendricks, has been linked to an ongoing investigation of the tribe and its finances.

Get the Story:
Tribe's longtime investor seeks new blood (The Cape Cod Times 1/5)
Magazine blasts casino (The Brockton Enterprise 1/5)