Alaska Tribe's Gambling Battle: A New Twist

The Native Village of Eklutna (NVE) in Alaska has been attempting to establish an eight-acre allotment as Indian lands for gambling since 1995, but has been consistently denied by the Department of the Interior and federal courts. However, in February 2024, Robert Anderson, then-solicitor of the Department of the Interior, issued an opinion that reversed previous rulings, stating that Indian tribes in Alaska had always exercised governmental power within the boundaries of Alaska Native allotments. Following this opinion, the National Indian Gaming Commission approved the NVEs plan to conduct commercial gambling on the allotment. However, in September 2024, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Katie MacGregor revoked Andersons opinion, stating it was contrary to law and judicial precedent. The NVEs gaming operation is likely to be shut down, and in a last-ditch effort, the NVE and another tribal council have passed a resolution urging Congress and the State of Alaska to recognize tribal jurisdiction over Native allotments. DNN | The Daily News Now! The world’s first global local news network. Every city. Every story. AI powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.