Town wants deadline for Mashpee Wampanoag casino

Thursday, February 25, 2010  

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is being pressed to commit to a deadline for a proposed casino in Middleboro, Massachusetts.

In 2007, the tribe finalized an agreement to build a casino in the town. But tribal leaders are apparently considering locations elsewhere, prompting concerns in Middleboro about the arrangement.

The agreement doesn't require the tribe to open a casino by a certain date so town leaders want the tribe to commit to a deadline, according to a letter. The town also says the tribe should share more revenues from the casino.

The tribe's land-into-trust application for 539 acres in Middleboro is pending at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Questions have been raised about the application in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar.

The decision restricts the land-into-trust process to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934. The Mashpees didn't gain recognition until 2007 but town leaders believe Congress will pass legislation to overturn the ruling.

Get the Story:
Middleboro pressures Mashpee tribe on casino pact (The Cape Cod Times 2/25)