Shawnee Tribe's casino plan stirs opposition

Monday, May 26, 2008

The Shawnee Tribe met with members of Oklahoma's Congressional delegation to address concerns about a proposed casino in Oklahoma City.

But the meetings don't appear to have helped. The lawmakers plan to send a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne in opposition of the $400 million casino, The Oklahoman reported.

The project depends on the tribe's ability to have the land placed in trust. The Bureau of Indian Affairs in January adopted a new policy that makes it harder to open casinos on land away from existing reservations.

The Shawnee Tribe doesn't have a reservation but its headquarters are in Miami, nearly 200 miles from Oklahoma City. The policy states that a gaming site must be within a commutable distance for tribal members.

The tribe, formerly a part of the Cherokee Nation, was recognized by an act of Congress in 2000. The law appeared to give the tribe the ability to open a casino just about anywhere in Oklahoma.

After word of an Oklahoma City casino surfaced in 2005, lawmakers introduced a rider to make it harder for the tribe to acquire land.

The bill became law but the tribe believes it has a good case for acquiring the Oklahoma City land. Greg Pitcher, the head of the tribe's economic development arm, appears to be arguing that the tribe qualifies for a "restored" and/or "newly recognized" exception in Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Just last week, the BIA finalized new regulations to guide the Section 20 process. Restored or newly recognized tribes must demonstrate connections to the gaming site.

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Casino proposal heads for showdown (The Oklahoman 5/25)
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