Federal appeals court upholds Narragansett Indians' land trust bid
PROVIDENCE, R.I. A federal appeals court has ruled in favor of the Narragansett Indians' bid to place 31 acres in Charlestown into a federal trust. The decision came yesterday from the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. It upheld a lower court's ruling.
The tribe wanted to put the land in federal trust to free the property from state and local taxes and laws. The Narragansetts say they'll use the land for housing, but state and Charlestown officials say they'll use it for a casino, and have fought the tribe in court.
The Narragansetts bought the land from a private developer in 1991. It's adjacent to the Narragansetts' settlement lands in Charlestown.
The judgment did not address whether state laws would apply to the trust land.
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