Bangkok--Nov 9--eTurboNews
Jamul Indian Village Chairman Leon Acebedo issued the following statement: In light of the volatile issue of off-reservation gaming, often referred to as "reservation shopping," the Jamul Indian Village endorses many of the concepts behind Congressman Richard Pombo's draft legislation requiring approval by local voters for all off-reservation land-into-trust acquisitions for gaming.
We are pleased to learn that senior officials with the Bureau of Indian Affairs recently quashed rumors of a total moratorium on land-into-trust acquisitions. However, we share Congressman Pombo's well-placed concern about tribes attempting to acquire lands for gaming many miles from their existing reservations, sometimes as far away as land in different states.
In our opinion, these tribes are violating the spirit of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) by seeking these lands. This is not what Congress had in mind, it is certainly not what local governments had in mind and it is surely not what the voters of California had in mind when they passed by large majorities Propositions 5 and 1A.
While we support the sovereign right of tribal governments to secure brighter economic futures for their people, such pursuits certainly cannot come at the expense of federal law, the rights of local governments, the intent of voters and the sovereignty of other tribes.
The Jamul Indian Village goes on record in believing that the existing regulations contained within IGRA regarding off-reservation land-into-trust gaming are adequate with a few exceptions, principally the lack of administrative processes and regulatory definitions to define for tribes exactly what the limits are of off-reservation land-into-trust applications are as regards gaming.
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