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Fort Sill Apache Tribe waits for answer on New Mexico casino

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma is hopeful for approval of a casino on its reservation in southern New Mexico.

The tribe has a 30-acre reservation but efforts to start gaming there have been met with opposition in the state. The National Indian Gaming Commission also said the land didn't qualify for an exception in Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

So the tribe is proceeding under the two-part determination section of IGRA. That means the state will have veto authority over the project.

With Gov. Susana Martinez (R) in office, it doesn't look like the tribe will succeed. “When the land was placed in trust, there was an understanding that the tribe would not take part in gaming,” a spokesperson for the governor told The New York Times.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs could issue a decision next year.

Get the Story:
Tribe Looks to End Old Exile, but Casino Plans Lead to Conflict (The New York Times 11/18)
Fort Sill Apache Tribe marks first anniversary of proclamation in Luna County (AP 11/18)

Also Today:
S.E. Ruckman: Fort Sill Apache place sign, make public commitment to return to N.M. homeland (The Native American Times 11/19)