The clay cliffs in Aquinnah, Massachusetts, the home of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe. Photo by Jens Dahlin / Flickr
A federal judge issued a permanent injunction on Tuesday that bars the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe from pursuing a gaming facility on its reservation in Massachusetts. The injunction comes after Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV ruled in November that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 does not apply to the reservation. The tribe has since voted to take the case to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. The tribe wants to convert an unfinished building into a Class II facility. But Saylor ruled that the Massachusetts Indian Land Claims Settlement Act of 1987 requires the tribe to follow local and state laws that do not otherwise authorize a casino. The 40-page decision runs counter to determinations from the Interior Department and the National Indian Gaming Commission. The two agencies concluded that IGRA repealed key provisions of the settlement act but they were not parties to the lawsuit, which was filed by the state of Massachusetts. Get the Story:
Judge issues permanent ban on Gay Head tribe's bingo hall (The Cape Cod Times 1/6)
Additional ruling sought in Vineyard bingo hall case (The Cape Cod Times 1/1)
Judge Denies Tribe's Motion to Reconsider Casino Ruling (The Vineyard Gazette 12/24)
Federal judge denies Wampanoag tribe’s request to review casino decision (The Martha's Vineyard Times 12/23) Relevant Documents:
Solicitor Letter to Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe (August 23, 2013)
NIGC Letter to Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe (October 25, 2013)
Press Release: GSB Client Aquinnah Wampanoag to be First to Game in Massachusetts (November 12, 2013)
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