Casino Stalker | Litigation

Wyandotte Nation off-reservation casino suit moved to Kansas

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Over the objections of the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma, a federal judge in Kansas has taken over the tribe's off-reservation lawsuit.

The tribe sued the Interior Department in federal court in Washington, D.C. The lawsuit alleges the Bureau of Indian Affairs has failed to take action on a land-into-trust application that was submitted in January 2009.

The Obama administration, however, requested the case be transferred to federal court in Kansas. On November 22, Judge Beryl Howell agreed, citing the "significant local interest" in the dispute.

Judge Julie Robinson in Topeka is now handling the case, the Associated Press reports. She will consider the Obama administration's response, which was filed yesterday, along with a motion to intervene by the state of Kansas.

According to the AP, the Obama administration says the BIA needs more time to review the land-into-trust application. The tribe acquired 10.5 acres in Park City, Kansas, in connection with a land claim settlement.

Get the Story:
Indian claim over Park City land set in Kansas (AP 12/5)

District Court Decision:
Wyandotte Nation v. Salazar (November 22, 2011)