Massachusetts tribes eye sites for possible casinos

Monday, February 8, 2010  

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe are reportedly looking for places to build a casino but another Massachusetts tribe wants them to stay away.

The two tribes are said to be considering locations in Fall River or Freetown. That has the state-recognized Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe upset.

But Pocassets hold the deed to original Watuppa Reservation. They say the other tribes have no ties to the area.

"That reservation in Fall River we got for spilling blood in wars," said Daryl "Black Eagle" Jamieson, vice chairman of the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe, told The Cape Cod Times. "It has nothing to do with Mashpees. They never fought in the King Philip War."

The Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs has landed in the middle of the dispute. The commission is reportedly trying to assert authority over part of the Watuppa Reservation and will hold a meeting on February 23 to discuss the idea.

Get the Story:
Pocasset Wampanoag bridle at perceived land grab (The Cape Cod Times 2/8)