The Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona is waiting on the Bureau of Indian Affairs to place 54 acres in trust for an off-reservation casino.

But when exactly will that happen? The Arizona Republic asked two Indian law experts and the short answer was that no one knows for sure, due to pending litigation.

"There is expectation right now they will be waiting for the litigation to settle before that happens," Carl Artman, who led the BIA towards the end of the Bush administration, told The Arizona Republic. "But again, who knows what the department could do?"

Heidi McNeil Staudenmaier, who chairs the State Bar of Arizona's Indian Law Section, said the interior Department might wait until the lawsuits are resolved. But she said there is nothing stopping the Obama administration from taking action.

"I would assume they probably will be monitoring to see if there is further litigation or appeals or other litigation challenges before taking the final step that would actually consummate the land into trust process," McNeil Staudenmaier told the paper.

Get the Story:
Tohono O'odham plans for casino bear Glendale anything but typical (The Arizona Republic 3/11)

District Court Decision:
Gila River Indian Community v. DOI (March 3, 2011)

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