Supreme Court refuses Wyandotte review

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2002

The Supreme Court without comment today declined to review an appeal by the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma over a proposed casino in Kansas.

The tribe had been dealt an unfavorable ruling in February 2001 by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court said the Department of Interior could not take certain lands into trust for the tribe if they weren't purchased with settlement money.

That ruling gave a tiny glimmer of hope for the tribe, seeking to open a casino in downtown Kansas City for years. Tribes in the state and Gov. Bill Graves, however, opposed the idea.

Congress eventually shut down any prospects for the tribe when it passed a bill forbidding any casino development on the land in question.

Get the Case:
SAC AND FOX NATION OF MISSOURI v. NORTON, No 00-3063 (10th Cir. February 27, 2001)

Relevant Links:
The Wyandotte Nation of Oklahama - http://www.wyandot.org/oklahoma