Published on: December 11, 2024, 11:01h.
Last updated on: December 11, 2024, 11:02h.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe in Massachusetts has revealed plans to create a welcome center on its sovereign land in Taunton.
As one of two federally recognized tribes in Massachusetts, the Mashpee tribe obtained federal recognition in 2007, with historical ties to the tribe that interacted with the Pilgrims during the first Thanksgiving. The tribe has been striving to establish a $1 billion resort named First Light for over a decade.
Facing challenges, the tribe lost financial backing from Malaysian gaming company Genting due to varying opinions from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs across three administrations regarding the tribal land in Taunton and federal trust qualifications.
Despite opposition from state officials and Governor Maura Healey (D), Mashpee leaders are determined to open a tribal casino, aiming for the First Light property to feature slot machines, table games, and sports betting akin to Las Vegas.
Welcoming Center Initiative
The tribe recently announced preparations to establish a welcome center on a small section of the First Light land.
This initiative fulfills the wishes of everyone — the City of Taunton, residents, and Tribal citizens. It serves as a place to explore our history, engage with our culture, and anticipate the future of our reservation,” stated Mashpee Wampanoag Chairman Brian Weeden.
Weeden further added, “Our new Welcome Center marks the beginning of a series of steps leading to the realization of the First Light resort and entertainment project. This will serve as a platform for the advantages of the First Light project and illustrate the tribal stewardship of our land.”
The tribal welcome center aims to showcase the First Light development and highlight the potential benefits of such a resort, including employment opportunities and increased tax revenue.
Casino Background
Beginning construction in early 2016, the Mashpee tribe and Genting started work on First Light after the DOI took the newly acquired 321 acres of land into federal trust in 2015. However, construction was halted following a legal challenge by residents against the tribal resort.
Billionaire Neil Bluhm of Rush Street Gaming, who was vying for the sole commercial casino license for certain counties in southeastern Massachusetts, funded the lawsuit. Rush Street had proposed a $677 million redevelopment of the Brockton Fairgrounds.
In June 2016, a federal judge ruled against the DOI and BIA for accepting the land into trust. The ruling was based on the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, stipulating that newly acquired lands can only be placed into trust for tribes recognized at the time of the law’s enactment.
Under President Donald Trump, the DOI upheld the decision, with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) introducing unsuccessful legislation to reaffirm the 2015 ruling. Genting terminated its partnership with the Mashpee.
The land-into-trust decision was later reversed under President Joe Biden’s administration. Despite appeals from Taunton residents, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld that the land should remain in trust.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission did not award the commercial casino license for the southeastern region due to concerns about saturation if a tribal casino is established in Taunton. As a result, the state’s benefits from the Expanded Gaming Act of 2011 are potentially diminished, with only three instead of four operational casinos today.