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MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2002

Assistant Secretary Neal McCaleb has affirmed the trust status of land owned by the Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma but the tribe won't still won't be able to open a casino in Kansas.

In a Federal Register notice published on Monday, McCaleb upheld a decision made during the Clinton administration on the land in downtown Kansas City. He said the parcel was purchased with settlement funds provided by Congress.

McCaleb's action puts him in line with a federal appeals court decision which said the land could only be held in trust if purchased with the money. The Supreme Court subsequently refused to hear the tribe's case to have the land considered a formal reservation.

That means the tribe won't be able to use the land for gaming purposes, as it has sought for years. Congress enacted a bill prohibiting Secretary of Interior Gale Norton from every allowing casino activity on the land.

Get the Notice:
Text

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

Related Stories:
Supreme Court refuses Wyandotte review (1/7)
Congress kills Wyandotte casino project (10/15)
Wyandotte company awarded $100M contract (8/17)
Sides prepare for land claim battle (6/21)
Battle over Kansas casino continues (2/28)
Wyandotte Nation sues over gaming (9/22)
Tribes oppose casino (9/15)