Indian Gaming

Members of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts go to the polls on Sunday to choose a leader as debate continues about gaming.

Incumbent chair Cheryl Andrews-Maltais is running for re-election. Earlier this week, she announced plans for a Class II facility on the island of Martha's Vineyard, citing a new legal opinion from the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Opponent Tobias Vanderhoop, however, doesn't think the tribe should rush to build the facility. He said tribal members need to discuss the issue further in light of concerns about development on the island.

“I am in favor of an appropriate gaming initiative for our people, but our people are the ones that have to define what is appropriate, and that discussion needs to really happen in a more in-depth way. People need to understand what the details are, how it would truly work, so that they can fully make a decision, an informed decision,” Vanderhoop told WBUR.

Local and state officials believe the tribe does not have the right to engage in gaming because the Massachusetts Indian Land Claims Settlement Act of 1987 subjects the tribe's lands to state law.

The NIGC opinion, however, said the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 confirmed the tribe's jurisdiction over its lands.

Get the Story:
Casino At The Heart Of Tribal Election On Martha’s Vineyard (WBUR 11/15)
In Election Countdown, Wampanoag Casino Plan Reignites Legal Dispute (The Martha's Vineyard Gazette 11/15)

Related Stories:
Governor weighs odds of Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe casino (11/14)