"The surest way for Southampton to escape the threat of a casino is for its residents and elected officials to insure that the Bureau of Indian Affairs conducts a transparent review of the Shinnecock petition. They should form a nonprofit organization (like the one I co-founded, the Connecticut Alliance Against Casino Expansion) that would educate the public and lobby state and federal officials. The lobbying effort should focus on getting Senators Charles Schumer and Hilary Rodham Clinton to meet with Interior Secretary Gale Norton, who oversees the bureau. In particular, the senators should demand that the bureau carry out its duty to review the Shinnecock petition in a timely manner and apply the mandatory tests for tribal acknowledgment.

Next, the New York Congressional delegation must call on the bureau to abide by the Freedom of Information Act and respond to the Town of Southampton's repeated requests to see the Shinnecock petition without restrictions."

Get the Story:
Jeff Benedict: A Gamble in the Hamptons (The New York Times 6/27)
pwnyt

Relevant Links:
Shinnecock Nation - http://www.shinnecocknation.com

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