This year will be an important one for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts.
The tribe has until July 31, 2012, to negotiate a Class III gaming compact with the state. The tribe also must have a gaming site in place and schedule a vote in the host community. Land is a big issue for the tribe as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. The decision restricts the land-into-trust process to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" as of 1934. The tribe didn't gain federal recognition until May 2007. A bill to fix the decision has stalled in Congress. Get the Story: