BIA can't figure out court ruling

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2002

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has asked its attorneys to look closer at a recent court decision affecting the legitimate government of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation.

The tribe's three traditional chiefs are convinced the federal court ruling upholds their authority. But a bureau official told a New York paper that it was unsure about the affect.

The legitimate government has been a central issue in the tribe's push to open a casino in the Catskills. A Boston Globe article alleged the Clinton administration played some role in the dispute to favor a casino company but never disclosed the court's involvement.

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Three Chiefs cheers (The Middletown Times Herald-Record 3/20)