The state of Massachusetts sued the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe on Monday in hopes of blocking a Class II facility on the island of Martha's Vineyard.
The casino would be located on trust land. But the state claims the tribe must follow state law due to a provision in the Massachusetts Indian Land Claims Settlement Act. "The Aquinnah tribe has taken actions to license, open, and operate gaming establishments on settlement lands in violation of Massachusetts and local law and in breach of the settlement agreement’s provisions,” the complaint reads. The complaint was filed in state court, a venue that has been historically unfavorable to Indian interests. In 2004, the Massachusetts Supreme ruled that the tribe is subject to state law. The National Indian Gaming Commission and the Solicitor at the Interior Department have confirmed the tribe's right to engage in gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The state is not suing either agency at this time. Turtle Talk has posted the complaint in the case, Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). Get the Story: