Mashpee Wampanoag: Feds have ordered reservation to be ‘disestablished,’ land taken out of trust

The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs has notified the Mashpee Wampanoag that their reservation will be disestablished and the land taken out of trust, the tribe revealed Saturday. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt notified the Mashpee Wampanoag of his decision on Friday, tribe Chairman Cedric Cromwell stated on the tribe’s website. The Mashpee Wampanoag have been involved in a prolonged legal battle over 321 acres of land in Taunton and a proposal to build a casino there. A bill, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act (H.R. 312), sought to recognize and protect what was described as “tribal homeland.” It was passed by the House on May 15, 2019 but failed to win passage in the Republican-controlled Senate. Before it arrived at the Senate, President Donald Trump sharply criticized it in a tweet: “Republicans shouldn’t vote for H.R. 312, a special interest casino Bill, backed by Elizabeth (Pocahontas) Warren. It is unfair and doesn’t treat Native Americans equally!”...MORE