I agree that the Shinnecock Indian Nation has a proud history of whaling that should be recognized and honored at every opportunity. I am sure the Shinnecock tribal members are very sincere in their request, citing pre-colonial agreements, for the beached whale fin and flukes that they considered a sacred gift.

However, the federal officials did the East End a favor by denying that the whale parts could be given to the Shinnecocks. Unfortunately, the Shinnecock leadership also claimed they had a supreme sovereign right to open an unregulated casino, without federal approval, citing the same pre-colonial agreements. The unintended consequence of a federal agency fulfilling the whale request would be, in essence, the federal recognition of pre-colonial sovereign rights of the Shinnecocks over federal law.

If you think it is a stretch to think that a whale fluke could lead to a casino, consider how the Pequots' Foxwoods casino came to be. Since the local Connecticut chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving was allowed to hold "Las Vegas Casino Nights" to cut down on after-prom teenage drinking, the courts cited legal precedent of regulated gambling and allowed the Pequots to open a full-blown high-stakes gambling facility that is now an almost five million-square-foot casino complex.

The Indian gaming phenomenon is littered with the debris of the best of intentions.

ROBERT BATTENFELD
Hampton Bays