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Editorial: Progress on Tohono O'odham Nation gaming plan

On the heels of the July 3, 2014 U.S. Department of Interior’s decision that “requires” the TO’s land be taken into trust making the city’s previous position null and void, the time for Glendale to promote and support the project has come. Still, the devil is in the details but the feelings among council advocates are positive, enthusiastic and confident.

Though many cling to the misnomer that this case will serve as precedence for Indian gaming nationwide, the detailed report produced by the Department of Interior clearly illustrates the unique circumstances and exclusive opportunities afforded specifically to the Tohono O’Odham Nation by the Gila Bend Indian Reservation Lands Replacement Act.

In its simplest terms, the Gila Bend Act is a Congressional make good for the damage and losses incurred by the TOs from the flooding of reservation lands by Painted Rock Dam. The act was drafted to support the Nation’s economic development and self-sufficiency.

Within its highly detailed context, it specifies the terms and conditions required of its application, all of which the Tohono O’Odham Nation has met to date. With the question of trust resolved and the meaning of “within the corporate limits” identified, city leadership has little more to oppose than their own personal preferences.