Ione Band worried about casino after high court ruling

Monday, March 23, 2009  

The Ione Band of Miwok Indians is worried that the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar will affect the tribe's plans for a casino in northern California.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs promised to place land in trust for the tribe in 1915 but that never happened. The tribe didn't appear on the list of federally recognized tribes until 1994, long after the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.

That means the tribe might not qualify for the land-into-trust process. "This is a blow for gaming and non-gaming tribes," Chairman Matt Franklin told The Sacramento Bee.

The tribe wants to build a $250 million casino but the project was placed in limbo due to last-minute actions by the Bush administration.

Get the Story:
U.S. high court deals blow to tribe's Amador casino plans (The Sacramento Bee 3/21)

Supreme Court Decision:
Syllabus | Opinion [Thomas] | Concurrence [Breyer] | Dissent [Stevens] | Concurrence/Dissent [Souter]

Supreme Court Documents:
Oral Argument Transcript | Briefs

Ione Band Documents:
New Ione Band Letter | Old Ione Band Opinion