Fort Sill Apache Tribe back in court over casino

Thursday, July 30, 2009  

The Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma went back to court on Wednesday to enforce a 2007 settlement with the federal government.

The settlement resolved a gaming dispute in Oklahoma between the Apaches, the government and the Comanche Nation. The Apaches believe the agreement allows them to restore their ancestral reservation in New Mexico.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has taken land into trust in New Mexico for the Apaches. However, the agency has yet to declare the land a reservation, a move that would protect the Apache Homelands Entertainment Center from action by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

The NIGC wants the tribe to stop offering Class II games at the facility. The tribe is appealing a notice of violation issued by the NIGC but has launched a media campaign in hopes of convincing the Obama administration to reverse course.

Get the Story:
Tribe gambles on lawsuit, ad campaign to secure casino's future (The Las Cruces Sun-News 7/30)

evant Documents:
Fort Sill Apache Letter (July 26, 2009) | Notice of Violation: Fort Sill Apache Tribe (July 21, 2009) | Settlement Agreement (March 8, 2007)