The Interior Department took 321 acres in Mashpee and Taunton into trust for the tribe in 2015, declaring it a sovereign reservation. The other tribe is the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha's Vineyard.. Washington, DC – A Native American tribe is calling on members of Congress to help protect the status of its reservation after the Trump administration reversed an Obama-era decision to hold its land in trust. Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Hopes Congressional Committee Backs Bill That Could Lead to $1B Taunton Casino. Frye feared that if left unchallenged, the decision would set a precedent for future government action against other Native American tribes. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe (legally Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Inc.) is one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts.Recognized in 2007, they are headquartered in Mashpee on Cape Cod. — Follow Tanner Stening on Twitter: @tsteningCCT. The bill reaffirms the trust status of the approximately 320 acres of Mashpee Wampanoag tribal land located in Massachusetts, that was initially taken into trust by DOI in 2015. The federal bill was introduced to the House and Senate this past March, and has since had an introductory hearing in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaskan Natives. Among other things, the agreement stipulated that the tribe would not pursue gaming, which is allowed on trust lands, in Mashpee. Congress Reintroduces House Tribal Bill. The timing of the trip is to urge congressional leaders to schedule a markup of the bill before the “pre-election recess,” according to the letter. “As you know, we will not have an opportunity to meaningfully impact these offices again until after the elections on Nov. 6,” the letter states, “so we urge you to make every effort to come to D.C. next week.”. Taking our land is a direct attack on our culture and our way of living,” said Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell. Tanner Stening @tsteningCCT Tuesday Sep 25, 2018 at 11:27 AM Sep 26, 2018 at 10:15 AM. Former President Barack Obama’s administration took the land of the Mashpee into trust in 2015, giving the tribe jurisdiction over the reservation, which is located in Massachusetts. Since the bill’s introduction, it has garnered wide support from Republicans and Democrats in the US House of Representatives. That ruling was based on a controversial reading of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, which does not qualify the Mashpee as “Indian”. “This is an existential issue, this is about the existence of this tribe, it’s that fundamental.”, That ruling was based on a controversial reading of the. The legislation has yet to move forward to a full committee hearing. The Mashpee have the support of Native American organisations from across the country and Wednesday’s action on the Capitol drew speakers from different tribes. The IGA is essentially an agreement that the town would support the tribe’s efforts to secure land in trust if the tribe did not claim ownership of land in Mashpee. The town’s board of selectmen had originally held back support for the bill, fearing that an intergovernmental agreement between the tribe and town would be null and void with the passage of the legislation. “We shouldn’t have to be doing this,” said Keating, who authored the House bill. The selectmen moved to formally back the legislation in May after expressing concerns that the proposed bill did not refer to the 2008 agreement between the town and the tribe. Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. After some debate, Mr. Cromwell agreed to the amendment in the legislation. MASHPEE — The federal government’s recent order to disestablish 321 acres of reservation land put into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe came as a … Native American Mashpee tribe turns to Congress in land dispute. Since that ruling, the Interior Department decided that the tribe was not under federal jurisdiction at the time of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, and thus not eligible for land in trust. The tribe then filed a lawsuit against the administration, saying its decision was “arbitrary, capricious and contrary to law, and if left unaddressed, will have a devastating impact on the tribe”, according to local media. In September, the US Department of Interior, under the Trump administration, decided not to challenge the ruling. Choose the plan that's right for you. 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The Congressional legislation that could protect the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s reservation was introduced to the House of Representatives in its new session, a sign of hope for the tribe in the new year. “We are extremely grateful that a bipartisan group of Congressional representatives understands the injustice of taking sovereign land away from the first Americans and have moved swiftly to ensure this nation does not return to the dark days of removing indigenous people from their land,” Mr. Cromwell said. Last updated on: May 2, 2019, 10:09h. Congressman Willam R. Keating (D-Massachusetts) refiled HR 5244, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act, along with co-sponsor Congressman Joseph Kennedy III (D-Massachusetts). He said that he has spoken with the Democratic leadership about putting the bill on the fast track. “I am pleased that the bill has been filed again and hopefully the outcome will be different in this session,” said Mashpee Town Manager Rodney C. Collins. In an interview Monday, Congressman Keating said that the bill, with a new Congress, has fresh momentum. The tribe's plans included a $1 billion casino in Taunton, but a lawsuit brought by neighbors of that proposed resort threw the reservation into legal limbo when a federal judge found that the Interior secretary did not have the authority to take the land into trust in the way he had. Digital access or digital and print delivery. Collins said he was still working out details of the trip, including when he would go. The reintroduced bill is one of the first of the new session. “We are the first indigenous tribal nation to sign a peace treaty with the Pilgrims and provide the land for them to establish Plymouth Colony,” Mr. Cromwell said. If Congress does not pass legislation protecting the tribe and the legal challenge fails, the Mashpee would be stripped of their right to exercise sovereign jurisdiction over their land. The Obama-era decision was reversed by the long-awaited Sept. 7 determination by the Interior Department, which said the tribe was not under federal jurisdiction at the time of the passage of the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934. Trump administration reversed Obama-era decision to recognise the Mashpee Wampanoag reservation in Massachusetts. Included in HR 312 is an amendment that reinforces the Intergovernmental Agreement signed between the tribe and Town of Mashpee in 2008, known as the IGA. We're the tribe that greeted the pilgrims, everybody knows about Thanksgiving. Members of Congress in both the House of Representative and the Senate have introduced bills to reaffirm the decision to take the Mashpee’s land into federal trust. The tribe has been fighting for its 320-acre reservation since a federal judge in 2016 ruled that the US Department of Interior needed to revise its decision for granting the tribe land in trust. Posted on: May 1, 2019, 07:23h. capecodtimes.com ~ 319 Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601 ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Cookie Policy ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service ~ Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The bill also has backing from town officials in Mashpee. Should we lose our reservation, our ability to operate as a Tribal government would be crushed,” said Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council chairman Cedric Cromwell in a statement issued on Monday, January 7. The congressman said that he has been approached by leaders from other tribes who not only share their appreciation for his efforts, but his optimism. A lawsuit has been filed in tribal court over the matter. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. But the Mashpee Reservation Act would be a Congressional move to stop such a policy. Mashpee manager to push for tribal land bill . The congressman said that with support from key members of the subcommittee, as well as across the aisle, he is optimistic about its eventual passage. Congressman Keating also filed legislation last year that would overrule the recent Interior Department decision, as well as the lower federal court ruling, and protect the tribe’s reservation. On Wednesday, members of the tribe and supporters from across the US gathered at the Capitol to call on Congress to use its plenary powers to pass legislation that would override the Department of the Interior’s authority on the issue. Mashpee member Cameron Frye called the tribe’s recent experience “disheartening”. “The administration has taken a decision to make one decision and Congress is here to try to straighten that out. Choose the plan that’s right for you. Massachusetts congressmen Bill Keating and Joe Kennedy were present at the Capitol on Wednesday to show their support for the tribe. 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