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Thanksgiving tribe calls on Trump to grant it casino lands

Posted November 22, 2017 6:00 am

The Associated Press

MASHPEE, Mass. (AP) - The Massachusetts tribe that broke bread with the Pilgrims is calling on President Donald Trump to honor his commitment to Native Americans.

Mashpee Wampanoag (MASH'-pee WAHM'-puh-nawg) Tribe Chairman Cedric Cromwell said Wednesday the administration needs to "do right" by his tribe and grant it the sovereign territory it has long sought for a resort casino.

President Barack Obama's administration placed 321 acres into trust for the tribe in 2015, but a federal judge sent the decision back to the administration for reconsideration after residents sued. The 2016 ruling forced the tribe to halt construction of its casino in Taunton.

Ancestors of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe shared a fall harvest meal with the Pilgrims in 1621, helping form the basis for the country's Thanksgiving tradition.

The Trump administration didn't immediately comment.

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