"Congress acted and the Supreme Court ruled, but neither makes a difference to members of the Narragansett Tribe who want to build a casino on their land in Charlestown.

And so, little Charlestown is left to defend the action of the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court against tribal efforts to reverse the Supreme Court’s 2009 ruling that the federal government cannot take land into trust for Native American tribes that were not formally recognized when Congress approved the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The Narragansetts gained federal recognition in 1983.

The tribe has fought that ruling and is expected to continue fighting despite watching the fortunes of the neighboring Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans do a 180 in terms of their casino enterprises. Tribal members see a casino as the answer to their prayers for wealth. They have lobbied for a casino in the state for years and have pressed for a statewide referendum on the question. Despite a record of losses on all fronts, tribal leaders persist in trying to rewrite federal legislation and the Supreme Court’s decision."

Get the Story:
EDITORIAL: How about that tribal housing? (The Westerley Sun 8/1)

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Narragansett Tribe looking to talk land-into-trust with governor (7/24)