A spokesperson for House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) said the Prairie Band Potawotomi Nation of Kansas hasn't followed up on its claim to an ancestral reservation in Illinois.

A former Department of Interior official said the tribe has a credible claim to the 1,250-acre reservation. The official had no authority to make the statement, according to Hastert's office.

The tribe has purchased land in the former reservation and has options for other land. The tribe has floated a plan for a casino resort. Hastert sponsored a bill that would have terminated all land and treaty claims in Illinois.

Get the Story:
Gambling on a Casino (The Northern Star Online 3/22)

Excepts of Leshy Letter:
Leshy to Hastert (January 18, 2001)

Treaty Termination Bill:
To provide for the equitable settlement of certain Indian land disputes regarding land in Illinois (H.R.791)

Related Documents:
Congressional Hearing Testimony | 1829 Treaty of Prairie du Chien | Background on 1829 Treaty

Relevant Links:
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation - http://www.pbpindiantribe.com

Related Stories:
Ill. lawmaker wants study of possible tribal casino (02/26)
Kansas tribe buys land in ancestral reservation (02/20)
Clinton memo cited 'credible' land claim (05/13)
'An affront to tribal sovereignty' (5/9)
Tribal bill enjoys top GOP support (5/7)