Alaska sues to block tribal gaming hall

The state of Alaska is suing the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Native Village of Eklutna over jurisdictional authority on Native allotments. The lawsuit challenges a federal opinion that granted Alaska tribes presumptive jurisdiction over 2.7 million acres, allowing the Eklutna tribe to open its Chin’an Gaming Hall in Anchorage. Tribal leaders say overturning the decision would cause financial harm. The Interior Department has not commented on the case.