Officials of the Massachusetts town of Mashpee are somewhat miffed they were kept in the dark so long about legislation that could solve the problem the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has had putting land in Mashpee and Taunton into trust.
If the 150 acres in Taunton and 171 acres in Mashpee are put into trust by an act of Congress, as Rep. William Keating is attempting to do, the tribe could begin work again on its First Light Casino that it had to stop building two years ago due to a federal court ruling against it. A similar bill has been sponsored by U.S. Senator Edward Markey.
Town officials and tribal leaders met several weeks before the legislation was introduced, and the town wasn’t told about it. They would like communications to be more open from now on, they say. The meeting happened after several years when communications basically ceased.
Mashpee Board of Selectman Andrew Gottlieb commented last week, “How do you expect us to deliver our support every step of the way if you don’t tell us what your next step is until you’ve taken it?”
Mashpee tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell insists that the legislation was discussed at the open meeting. In a statement he said, “The delegation has supported us for as long as I can remember — during the exhausting federal recognition process; developing legislative options during the land claim litigation; throughout our lengthy land in trust application review; and today as we seek legislation to reaffirm our reservation.”
Board of Selectmen Chairman Thomas O’Hara responded, “We just want to have an open, honest relationship. And we don’t feel like we’re getting the information we need.”
The town is trying to keep up with the possible ramifications of the lawsuit that brought the casino construction to an abrupt halt and which is still under appeal.
After being ordered to review its previous action putting the land into trust for the tribe the Department of the Interior is reviewing different options open to it to possible accomplish the same thing by a different route. An Act of Congress would make that a moot issue.
