Tohono O'odham Nation pushes for ruling on off-reservation casino

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona is facing some big deadlines in its quest for an off-reservation casino.

The tribe's land-into-trust application was approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. But a lawsuit by the city of Glendale and the Gila River Indian Community has delayed action.

A federal judge has scheduled a hearing in the case on February 17 and could issue a ruling soon afterward. If he sides with the BIA, the agency could finalize its decision on the land-into-trust application before a new state law takes effect this fall.

The new law would allow Glendale to annex the tribe's land without the tribe's consent. Annexation would effectively derail the land-into-trust application so the timing of the judge's ruling is crucial.

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