The closer we get to the election, the more entertaining the Cromwell administration becomes. More fascinating is how the overpaid legal team is dredging up old historical arguments that have been soundly REJECTED by the Department of Interior.
Each one of the historical points detailed In the Cape Cod Times as the Gospel of Cromwell and the way to a special exemption for us, was presented to DOI during the Recognition process. These points were thrown out by DOI and never attributed to the validation of our existence as a tribe.
Why bring them up again? You know why…. Re-election. They keep trying to give Casino Stalkers hope of a casino.
It’s more millions of dollars in legal fees for recycled stuff that’s no good.
Why would the DOI suddenly do an about face? The experts who said no 6 years ago are still on the job there.
As usual…you can’t believe everything you read in the paper can you? Especially when the reporter does not do his homework. Maybe he should ask the people who would give the other side of the story.
Here are the recycled arguments that we’re paying for a second time;
The 1763 King George Edict: During the 1977 land suit, we used a decree by King of England that gave us clear title to our land. We thought it would prove that it was stolen. This argument was rejected in the recognition process.
Forced Removal: The government actually tried to relocate us in Oklahoma. This argument was rejected.
1933 Indian Reorganization Act: Sachem Leroy Perry held a meeting at the Old Indian Meeting House to organize the Mashpee and the Herring Pond Wampanoag but action was never finalized and the documents never found. It was rejected.
The 1933 IRA meeting is particularly important because in order to get around the 2009 Carcieri Supreme Court ruling we must prove that we were recognized by the US government before 1934.
The simple fact remains that the entire casino process was launched 4 months before the state deadline with an incomplete LIT application, terrible tiny location and no historical ties. The abominable compact sealed the fate of the Taunton Itty Bitty casino.
For Interior to accept this old discarded information now would smell pretty stinky.
Cedric Cromwell is such an outsider; he has no idea of what is contained in the Recognition documentation. The lawyers know that and bill for stuff we’ve already paid for. It’s clear that this administration can’t come up with an original idea to save their political hides. But we all know that.
