The town of Mashpee has endorsed the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's bid for federal recognition.

The town was in talks with tribe on land claim, sovereignty, gaming and other issues. The discussions appeared to be on hold when the two parties disagreed on a proposed memorandum of understanding.

But after Mashpee Chairman Glenn Marshall promised the tribe would not pursue private land claims or develop a casino on Cape Cod, town leaders voted unanimously not to challenge the tribe's recognition petition. The deadline for public comments on the petition is Tuesday.

The BIA issued a preliminary decision this past March. A final decision is due on March 31, 2007.

Get the Story:
Mashpee officials back tribe (The Cape Cod Times 9/30)

Relevant Documents:
Summary of Acknowledgment Cases | R. Lee Fleming Declaration

Only on Indianz.Com:
Federal Recognition Database V2.0 (May 2005)

Relevant Links:
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe - http://mashpeewampanoagtribe.com

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