The
Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma plans to open a gaming facility on newly acquired land, according to a press release from the
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The BIA published notice of the 127-acre acquisition in the Federal Register on December 17, 2012. But the gaming aspect wasn't disclosed until a May 24, 2013, press release involving a different tribe whose off-reservation casino application was approved by Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn.
"In December 2012, Assistant Secretary Washburn issued notice of a decision to take
approximately 127 acres of land into trust for a gaming operation for the Tonkawa Tribe of
Oklahoma, also in Kay County," the BIA said in the
press release.
Washburn approved the
Kaw Nation application under the two-part determination provisions of the
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The press release noted that the site is 29 miles from the tribe's headquarters.
The Tonkawa Tribe's proposed gaming site is 6 miles from its headquarters, according to the Federal Register notice. It's not clear why the BIA treated the two applications differently.
The Kaw Nation's request must be approved by the state governor before the tribe can engage in gaming at the site.
The land also must be placed in trust, which is a separate step from the two-part determination process.
Get the Story:
Casino planned near Braman
(The Arkansas City Traveler 6/18)
Federal Register Notice:
Land
Acquisitions; Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma (December 17, 2012)
Related Stories
BIA approves Kaw Nation off-reservation
casino application (6/17)
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