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December 12, 2006

Mending fences? Chief Thomas and Carcieri meet

PROVIDENCE -- Narragansett Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas and Governor Carcieri met this afternoon -- their first face-to-face meeting since the tribe's bid to build a casino in West Warwick failed.

The two say they hope to mend fences after a rocky time between the state and the tribe.

Among the issues they discussed was the nearly $400,000 in slot revenue that's due to the tribe under an agreement Lincoln Park struck with the state. The tribe has not accepted the money because Thomas says the wording of the agreement is not clear on how it can be used.

Thomas and the governor say they'll each work with leaders in the General Assembly to make the wording more agreeable.

The two also spoke about economic development and discussed an unresolved legal battle over sovereignty on land the tribe purchased in 1991. That dispute is headed to the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals next month.

-- The Associated Press

Posted by Steve Peoples  at 6:46 PM | Permalink

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