The State of Alaska has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging recent federal decisions that redefine jurisdiction over what are known as Native allotments in the state.
At the heart of the dispute is a decision by federal officials to grant the Native Village of Eklutna, based in Anchorage, jurisdiction over an individually owned Native allotment, known as the Ondola Allotment, which paved the way for gaming operations on the land.
The legal battle comes just as the Native Village of Eklutna has hurriedly opened a gambling operation near Peters Creek in Anchorage. The tribe contractors, operating under the supervision of a Las Vegas gambling developer, worked through the night to set up the Chin’an Gaming Hall, which consists of two trailers pushed together in a muddy construction site.
