Editorial: Troubling signs in review of off-reservation gaming plan

Monday, January 7, 2013
Filed Under: Opinion
More on: bia, land-into-trust, off-reservation, oklahoma, seneca-cayuga

"The resurfacing of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma's application to take land it owns in Cayuga County off the tax rolls so it can build a casino came as a surprise to local officials.

The federal government had, after all, rejected what seemingly was a similar application in 2008, saying the location of a casino was too far from the tribe's existing reservation in Oklahoma. We can only venture a guess that the tribe has some inside knowledge that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is more likely to have a favorable opinion this time around as it seeks to develop its property in Aurelius and Montezuma.

With that in mind, it's imperative that our congressional delegation immediately get to work on making sure this review is done properly and fairly. That means U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei and U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand need to make direct contact with leaders at the BIA and the federal Department of the Interior, which oversees the BIA."

Get the Story:
Our View: BIA must be thorough, fair reviewing tribe's request (The Auburn Citizen 1/6)

Another Opinion:
Andrew Roblee: Tribe having a second go at gaming facility (The Auburn Citizen 1/7)