"The two separate lawsuits filed against the federal government over the creation of tribal trust land - and, as a result, a substantial tribal casino-resort - near Glendale involve a lot of arcane arguments steeped in the complexities of federal-tribal law.

But one aspect of both suits is neither complex nor arcane: Just whose "community" really matters to the federal government?

The interests of the Gila River Indian Community, which has invested tens of millions of dollars into its casino operations, certainly are threatened by the advent of a new casino-resort competitor in the northwest Valley.

But the Valley tribe is virtually shut out of the discussion about the deal. The nature of federal-tribal law effectively excludes anyone other than the immediate parties - in this case, the Tohono O'Odham tribe of southern Arizona and the U.S. Department of the Interior - from the negotiations over the assignment of trust-land designations. As a result, the Gila River Indian Community is on the outside looking in. And its members are not alone with their noses pressed against the window.

The city of Glendale surrounds the Tohono O'Odham's property at 91st and Northern avenues. But, if anything, Glendale is even more voiceless than the Gila River Indians."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Laws need to see tribes as part of urban community (The Arizona Republic 9/25)

Relevant Documents:
Federal Register Notice: Land Acquisitions; Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona (August 26, 2010)| Larry Echo Hawk Letter to Tohono O'odham Nation (July 23, 2010)

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