
Jeff Houser, chairman of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, stands inside his tribe's newly renovated casino in Lawton.
By TONY THORNTON, The Oklahoman
Case pivots on land issue
Central to a lawsuit settlement involving the Comanche Nation, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe and the federal government is a 30-acre tract of land in southwest New Mexico.
As part of the settlement involving its Oklahoma casino, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe secured a promise from the Interior Department to "accept and timely process” its application to convert the New Mexico land into a reservation.
The tribe built a small casino there along Interstate 10, but it closed in February before it officially opened, after New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ordered a blockade. Richardson said the casino is illegal because it hasn't been approved by federal Indian gaming regulators.
In March, the Fort Sill Apache Tribe complained in a court filing that the Interior Department hasn't abided by the settlement terms.
In a response filed last week, Interior Department officials said they are awaiting more information from the tribe before the request can be processed.
Staff Writer Tony Thornton