The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts says it has a right to build a casino on its reservation on the island of Martha's Vineyard.

Congress set aside a reservation for the tribe through the Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1987. The law states that the land will be subject to state civil and criminal jurisdiction.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court in 2004 ruled that the tribe waived its sovereign immunity by agreeing to the settlement. The court said the tribe can be sued for not complying with local laws.

But the tribe says it can do what it likes on the reservation so long as its legal in the state. That would apparently include casino gambling.

"Under federal statute, they are allowed to do anything on trust lands which is legal within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," tribal attorney Richard Bennett told The Boston Globe.

Get the Story:
Aquinnah pitch island casino plan (The Cape Cod Times 6/9)
Rival tribe says its casino would be better for Mass (The Boston Globe 6/9)
Tribe: Plan yields biotech cos., resort (The Boston Herald 6/9)
Second tribe wants Fall River for a casino (The Brockton Enterprise 6/9)

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