Litigation | Openings & Closings

Cherokee Nation disputes United Keetoowah Band casino ruling

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

As expected, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma will fight a decision that allows the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians to keep its casino open.

In a decision on Monday, the Bureau of Indian Affairs said the former reservation of the Cherokee Nation is also the former reservation of the UKB for purposes of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The Cherokee Nation disputes that.

" I mean no ill will to our UKB brothers and sisters, or to their government. However, this land has always been, and always will be, under the jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation," attorney general Todd Hembree said in a press release.

The BIA's decision places the two-acre site of the Keetoowah Cherokee Casino in trust.

Get the Story:
Cherokee Nation says it will appeal UKB land in trust (The Native American Times 8/1)
Keetoowah Band ‘back to work’ (The Muskogee Phoenix 8/1)
Cherokees plan to fight Tahlequah casino decision (The Tulsa World 8/1)
Trust land status OK’d for UKB casino (The Tahlequah Daily Press 7/31)
UKB celebrates trust decision (The Tahlequah Daily Press 7/31)