Artist's rendering of proposed First Light Resort and Casino. Image from Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts hasn't seen much movement on two key aspects of its casino plan. The tribe's Class III gaming compact remains stalled at the Legislature, two months after it was finalized. Two leading lawmakers gave conflicting responses to The Cape Cod Times when asked about the agreement. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Indian Affairs hasn't made a decision on the tribe's land-into-trust application, even though one was promised in the spring. An attorney for the tribe, however, wasn't worried about the delay. "The department is doing a lot of things and sometimes it makes promises it can't keep," Judy Shapiro told the paper. The biggest hurdle facing the tribe is the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. The justices held that the land-into-trust process is restricted to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" as of 1934. The Mashpees didn't gain federal recognition until May 2007 but has submitted evidence to the BIA to document its federal status. Get the Story:
Tribe's casino plans at standstill (The Cape Cod Times 7/8) Related Stories:
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe confident of casino amid BIA wait (7/3)
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