Members of Pamunkey Indian, the Virginia tribe that claims to have old traditions and to have greeted the first English settlers in the region, is impatiently waiting to see if it will get the nod of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Currently, the leader of the tribe is expecting a phone call that is said to be critically important for the future of the tribe. If it gets the necessary approval, the Pamunkey Indian Tribe will be the first federally recognized tribe on the territory of Virginia.
To be more precise, the tribe is situated east of Richmond and once authorities back its request for federal approval, the tribal members will be legally allowed to take advantage of funds for educational, housing or health purposes, which can be regarded as a long-awaited compensation for the period when they were unable to use these amenities.
However, there is an underlying reason that made Virginia officials postpone giving the tribe a federal recognition. In case Pamunkey receives regulators’ nod, it will be eligible for establishing a casino on the territory of the state.
It is a well-known fact that Virginia is among the states that fiercely oppose the idea for availability of casino venues in the region.
For the time being, tribal executives have not expressed keen interest in engaging in the gambling industry but representatives of MGM, the company that is currently building a mega resort in a close proximity to Virginia, warned about the possibility of having to deal with another competitor. In order to avoid that, MGM executives opposed the idea federal recognition to be granted to the tribe.
In point of fact, the tribe meets all requirements of the U.S Bureau of Indian Affairs but what halts the procedure is the fierce opposition its federal recognition has.
As for the MGM officials, they disagree with the federal recognition of the tribe as it poses a potential threat to their luxurious casino resort in Maryland that is supposed to open doors for visitors next year.
Actually, MGM executives have publicly revealed their stance on the issue last summer and submitted a lengthy document to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Virginia business owners are concerned about their revenues once the tribe is allowed to sell cigarettes, gas and other goods without being subjected to the state taxation system.
Apart from that, the majority of politicians as well as the Congressional Black Caucus are totally against the presence of Pamunkey Indian Tribe on the market.
