Although the Oklahoma based Ft. Sill Apache tribe won court battles to have the state recognize them as a legitimate New Mexico tribe, and the Interior Department put their Akela Flat property in southern New Mexico in trust, on May 7, 2015, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) reiterated its decision of 2009 that the tribe does not qualify to operate a casino in New Mexico. The Ft. Sill Apaches currently operate one casino in Oklahoma.
Although ancestors of some of the current tribal members lived in New Mexico in the Akela Flat area about a century ago, they have not maintained a continuous presence in the area for generations, nor have they had tribal governance in the area for that time.
This latest decision by the NIGC makes it even less likely that the Oklahoma tribe will be able to ever achieve their goal to open a casino in New Mexico, but they are leaning toward further legal actions in federal court to try to overturn the NIGC decision.
An article in Indianz.com on the decision can be read by clicking here.
Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico is pleased with the NIGC decision, since a win for the tribe would be a precedent for allowing off-reservation casinos to open other places in the state. That is commonly referred to as “reservation shopping,” and has resulted in dozens of off-reservation casinos opening up around the nation.
We already have too many casinos in New Mexico, and are glad that Governor Martinez and the NIGC have opposed this one. We suspect muscle and campaign money from New Mexico tribes who already have casinos is a major reason that Ft. Sill is unsuccessful.