Casino Stalker | Legislation

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe welcomes Carcieri fix for casino bid

Monday, March 11, 2013

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is welcoming legislation to fix the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar.

The court ruled that the land-into-trust process applies only to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934. The Mashpees didn't gain federal recognition until 2007 so a fix would clear up any uncertainties.

“While we are confident that the Department of the Interior has the legal authority to take land into trust on our behalf, a clean Carcieri fix would help clear up the confusion caused by the Supreme Court’s 2009 decision and would spur economic development across Indian Country,” Chairman Cedric Cromwell told The Taunton Daily Gazette.

The tribe is waiting for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make a decision on its land-into-trust application, which includes plans for a casino in the city of Taunton.

Get the Story:
Markey's bill could help Mashpee casino plan (The Taunton Daily Gazette 3/9)
Markey files bill to advance tribe's land-into-trust efforts (The New Bedford Standard-Times 3/9)
US Senate Candidate Markey Files Bill To Assist Mashpee Tribe’s Reservation Plans (Cape News 3/8)

Carcieri Fix Legislation:
H.R.666 | H.R.279