Blog: State knew about troubled Mashpee chair

Wednesday, September 5, 2007  

"Stephen Bingham and his mother, Mashpee Wampanoag elder and clan mother Amelia Bingham, were invited to meet with state senator Dianne Wilkerson. The meeting took place in the senator's office on Tuesday, Aug. 28.

The Binghams came prepared.

Unwilling to be ambushed yet again by those who care more about casino gambling than about the future and well-being of the Wampanoag people, they brought with them: Jim Peters of the tribe and the Commonwealth's Commission on Indian Affairs, two attorneys who are not part of the Liberty Square/Abramoff/Foxwood crowd, and a notary.

These four companions were meant to be witnesses to whatever was said in the senator's office. Senator Wilkerson expressed surprised when she saw that the Binghams were not alone.

Even more shocked was Governor Deval Patrick's chief political adviser, Michael Morris.

The Binghams told this reporter that they were not expecting him to walk into the senator's office for the private meeting. According to the Binghams, Morris said he was concerned about the presence of the two lawyers and did not want to speak with the Binghams if the lawyers remained, so they waited outside the office with a closed door between them and the conversation that followed.

During the meeting Morris mentioned an interesting name.

According to the Binghams, when they mentioned their requests for help in resolving what they consider to be a hijacking of the tribe by outside gambling interests and financial misconduct by deposed tribal council chairman Glenn Marshall and the council's executive committee and that no one has seemed to take them seriously, including state Attorney General Martha Coakley. Morris said that he would speak to David Freeman, Coakley's principal assistant, on their behalf, according to the Binghams."

Get the Story:
Why is Sen. Wilkerson interested in the Wampanoags? (Cape Cod Today 9/5)

Mashpee Casino Agreement:
Intergovernmental Agreement (July 2007)

Relevant Documents:
DOI Final Determination | 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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