The tenacious Gay Head Aquinnah quietly stayed the course and made significant progress with gaming efforts while the renowned Mashpee consistently lost ground and its reputation in Indian Country, lead by phonies who undermined the tribal core and traditions for 8 years.
There’s been no talk of the casino….for us. Casino’s are popping up all over Massachusetts, even on good ole Noepe, Martha’s Vineyard. Ain’t that surreal? The Aquinnah seem to have overcome their image as “wards of the state,” to go on a build something on the island, to the dismay of other residents. There isn’t much opponents can do since the Aquinnah have the upper hand…so far…..
Us? Well that’s another sad tale of bad evidence and legal advice lead by a bunch of scam artists posing as tribal leaders. This is a truly lousy reality show with a finale that is sad as can be.
Ever since a judge said the Bureau of Indians Affairs could not take our land into trust the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has been in a kind of death spiral. This is because Ceddie spent tens of millions of dollars on the worst lawyers, and damned fools pretending to be experts who put the bogus LIT package together. That’s why we are back in no mans land.
Those lawyers and perps had no evidence that we were ever under federal jurisdiction and everyone including Ceddie knew it. If you recall, the “Chairman” was stunned himself when the decision came down. Well the
April 2016 was the last time Ceddie was “Shovel Ready.” The judge said stay away from the Taunton land that Genting now holds title to. Ceddie has mortgaged it to pay his salary and those of the paid do nothing Council.
whole LIT celebration was Fryebal Council party that was short lived cause….the White people in Taunton sued. They said they would and you know them….they follow thru. Well, the judge said we didn’t prove we were under federal jurisdiction in 1934 (lame evidence that we talked about over and over), so all that show boating Ceddie did on that overpriced Taunton land came to a screeching halt. Nothing has happened in 2 years. Oh yah, the judge said no building on the property because the LIT was in question.
A dormant work site is proof that the entire casino effort was a ruse allowing the Cromwell Administration to gauge the Tribe for 8 years rolling up the tab to nearly $400m.
Here’s something we forgot. The Tribe had no money to even lay the foundation of the Asino. Bank of America pulled out as the outside backer (check story on May 17, 2016) But Cedric kept paying himself the Council (except Robert Dias and Carlton Hendricks), and the do nothing staff. They just keep running up the tab that is supposed to run out in June
So last week the BIA says it won’t appeal the case. That’s not a good sign at all. But the judge said the BIA could take the 2nd tract and present new evidence that the tribe was under federal jurisdiction in 1934. The Tribe asked for a delay on the decision, another bad sign. Most
There were strong inferences that the BIA was pressured into granting LIT to Mashpee and BIA chief Washburn complained about the internal controversy and war that broke out in the agency over the decision.
agree that if the Tribe had the proof it would have offered it in the land in trust application in the first place. But once again there were suspicious circumstances surrounding the BIA decision to take the LIT. You may recall that the head of the BIA, newly retired after the LIT action, talked about the war that broke out in the bureau over the decision to take the Mashpee/Taunton land into trust. He discussed it publicly during a gaming conference. We never had the proof.
So now, the Bureau has until June 19 to “prepare a decision on whether the Tribe was under Federal jurisdiction in 1934, and thus eligible to have land taken into trust for it.” It’s a stalling tactic for Cedric…it would be easier to pull doves out of his backside that produce new evidence. God knows we were always under state jurisdiction only.
All of the hundreds of millions of dollars wasted on stalling tactics could have gone to building B&B’s, restaurants and expanding fishing resources, our museum and other landmarks inviting tourist trade. But the real shame is that our children and adults are dying on dope and the money wasted on the Asino and salaries (malfeasance)could have gone to a clinic to save lives. We should have housing for tribal members in need.
The casino effort is clearly fading before our eyes, and to think that we never prepared or even saved $20- $30 million for our people is proof that Cedric is not Mashpee. He is a just like Trump…it’s all about him.
We’re nearly $400m in debt and all we have is a echo chamber of a building and a food pantry sponsored by the Boston Food Bank.
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