Members of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe celebrated the U.S. government’s final recognition of the tribe’s sovereign lands at their own government headquarters in Mashpee Monday.
Chief Vernon “Silent Drumm” Lopez, who fought in the Battle of Normandy during World War II, says he has been working to get federal recognition since he joined the tribe’s first board of directors in the 1970s.
"From there on we’ve been working pretty steadily with the tribe and the federal government and pretty much anyone who would listen to us to finally come to this day when we could raise our flag," he said. "It’s a great moment for me. "
The tribe now has more than 300 acres of reservation land in Mashpee and Taunton. Tribe officials say they will break ground on a $500 million dollar casino in Taunton sometime in the spring.