$stalker The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians continues to defend its handling of a proposed off-reservation casino.

The tribe wants to open a casino more than 200 miles from the reservation. The site is located off a major interstate in Ocean Springs.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs scheduled a public hearing on Tuesday. But local officials say the tribe has kept them in the dark after promising to keep Ocean Springs and Jackson County involved.

The tribe is paying for the meeting by renting the Ocean Springs Civic Center for $800. The tribe is also paying for the environmental impact report being prepared on the casino.

Nevertheless, the tribe says it is up to the BIA to keep the public involved. "Please understand the meeting date and notification were established by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, it is their scoping meeting, not a meeting sponsored by the Mississippi Choctaws," the tribe says in a statement.

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Choctaws still seek approval for resort (The Mississippi Press 10/14)