Littlefield et al v. United States Department of the Interior

  1. July 28, 2016

    Mass. Casino Opponents Come Up Winner In Trust Land Fight

    A Massachusetts federal judge ruled Thursday that the U.S. Department of the Interior was wrong to take land into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's planned casino, saying the agency misinterpreted the Indian Reorganization Act in finding it had the authority to do so.

  2. July 25, 2016

    Mass. Casino Opponents Say Amicus Botched Case Law

    Massachusetts residents fighting a decision to take land into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's controversial casino south of Boston said Friday that an intertribal organization made a hash of interpreting the Indian Reorganization Act and associated case law in an amicus brief supporting the tribe.

  3. July 21, 2016

    Mass. Tribal Casino Foes Fight DOI Over Land-Into-Trust Law

    Massachusetts residents opposing a decision to take land into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's controversial casino argued in federal court Wednesday that the U.S. Department of the Interior has misread the language in a federal act defining who may be called a tribal member.

  4. July 15, 2016

    Mass. City Backs DOI Casino Land Decision For Tribe

    The city of Taunton, Massachusetts, urged a federal court on Thursday to affirm the U.S. Department of the Interior's decision to take land into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's casino in the municipality, saying federal law authorizing tribal land-into-trust actions should be read for the benefit of the tribe.

  5. July 11, 2016

    Law's Plain Language Nixes Mass. Indian Casino, Judge Told

    Opponents of a Native American casino in southern Massachusetts told a federal judge Monday that the Indian Reorganization Act and basic grammar make their point crystal clear: The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe was not under federal jurisdiction in 1934, so the Department of the Interior can't transfer lands into trust for its descendants to build the $500 million megaproject.

  6. July 08, 2016

    DOI, Mass. Residents Tussle Over Land Trust For Casino

    The federal government and a group of Massachusetts residents traded blows in federal court Thursday over whether the U.S. Department of the Interior properly took land into trust for a Native American casino, as the parties prepare to hash out their competing interpretations of the Indian Reorganization Act on Monday.

  7. June 29, 2016

    Native American Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2016

    Federal courts will weigh several cases with important implications for Native American law practitioners over the next six months, including a closely watched battle over the Washington Redskins' controversial trademarks, a water rights battle in California, and dueling suits from the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the Sunshine State over their gambling deal. Here are the cases lawyers say they'll be keeping a close eye on for the rest of 2016.

  8. June 20, 2016

    Effort To Halt Mass. Casino Put On Fast Track

    A lawsuit aimed at halting the transfer of lands into trust for a Native American casino in southern Massachusetts was set down for a hearing on the merits in July, an expedited timetable that could see the quick resolution of a hot-button issue in the commonwealth.

  9. June 02, 2016

    Tribal Casino Row Puts DOI Policy Shift Under Microscope

    A bid to block construction of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's casino in Massachusetts will likely force a ruling on a U.S. Department of the Interior policy change that allowed the tribe to keep building despite unresolved litigation, marking a key test for the DOI's new approach and potentially dealing a blow to opponents of tribal casinos.

  10. May 31, 2016

    Mass. Residents Urge Judge To Block Tribal Casino Project

    A group of Massachusetts residents asked a federal judge Friday to halt construction of a casino in southeastern Massachusetts, arguing that the interior secretary lacked the authority to take roughly 320 acres of land into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's billion-dollar-plus project.