Tribe Gets Shaft Again

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe won federal recognition in 2007 in Massachusetts, which you would think would give them exactly what they needed. Instead, they found that they are no closer to getting their slot machines than they were before they got their title. They have been trying to get permission to build a casino in Southeastern Massachusetts but the US Supreme Court has put the kibosh on that idea for now.

The Wampanoags are going to fight the ruling, and are asking Congress to step in and help them with the situation. They say that you cannot give them federal recognition and then not give them the rights that go along with it. The US government has recognized the sovereignty of the tribe but will not allow them to take land into trust.

They want to open a slot machine casino that would also have a golf course, table games, and other offerings in Middleboro which is not far from the Connecticut border. It would be very similar to the Mohegan Sun and the Foxwoods Casino, which are both run by tribes as well. The tribes see millions of dollars in revenue from these casinos and their slot machines, and the tribe would like to see some of that revenue themselves.

Instead, they are still fighting for the same rights that other tribes across the nation have already been granted, and quite frankly they are wondering if it is ever going to end. For now, it doesn’t look good.

 

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