The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is preparing to wait even longer for a decision on its casino land-into-trust application. Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn, the head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, originally promised a decision this spring. But that deadline has slipped and Chairman Cedric Cromwell believes the tribe might have to wait until early next year for an answer, The Taunton Daily Gazette reported. The biggest hurdle facing the tribe is the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. The justices held that the land-into-trust process is restricted to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" as of 1934. The Mashpees didn't gain federal recognition until May 2007 but the tribe has submitted evidence to the BIA to document its continuing status. Opponents believe their research shows the tribe was under state, not federal, jurisdiction in 1934. Get the Story:
Historic documents to be considered in tribal land ruling (The Taunton Daily Gazette 7/9)
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