NCAI joins Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino fight

Tuesday, March 9, 2010  

The National Congress of American Indians passed a resolution last week that opposes HB2297, a bill that seeks to prevent the Tohono O'odham Nation from developing an off-reservation casino in Arizona.

NCAI said the bill discriminates against tribes and interferes with the federal-tribal relationship. The bill "would provide municipalities with the unilateral authority to annex fee land owned by a tribe when the tribe has requested that the United States take the land into trust for the tribe’s benefit," according to the resolution.

The bill allows the city of Glendale to annex a 100-acre site already owned by the Tohono O'odham Nation. The tribe acquired the land in 2003 and plans to use it for the $550 million West Valley Resort.

Usually, land acquired after the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 can't be used for a casino. But the law contains an exception for land acquired in connection with a land claim settlement.

Congress passed a land claim settlement act that says the Tohono O'odham Nation can acquire "unincorporated" land in Arizona. If the city of Glendale annexes the tribe's site, it would no longer meet that definition.

HR2279 is not tribal specific so any tribe in Arizona could have their fee land annexed by a local government without the tribe's input.

Get the Story:
Association of tribes opposes land measure (The Arizona Republic 3/9)

Earlier Stories:
Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino bid still at BIA (3/8)
Bill affects Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino bid (2/26)
Bill targets Tohono O'odham off-reservation casino bid (2/3)
Tohono O'odham Nation 'more committed' to casino (1/28)
Sen. Kyl voices opposition to Tohono O'odham casino (1/27)
McCain joins opposition to off-reservation casino bid (1/21)
Tohono O'odham Nation won't drop off-reservation bid (1/20)