WETUMKA, Okla. (AP) — A small Oklahoma Indian tribe is asking a government agency to reverse a ruling banning it from building a casino in a Tulsa suburb.
The 350-member Kialegee Tribal Town says it now has legal jurisdiction over the 20-acre parcel in Broken Arrow because the two owners of the property were recently enrolled as members of the tribe.
Last week, the National Indian Gaming Commission ruled the casino couldn't be built on the land because the owners were members of the Muscogee Creek Nation.
On Wednesday, the tribe filed a request in federal court asking a judge to allow it to build a sports bar and music venue on the property instead of a casino.
The project has drawn strong opposition from thousands of Broken Arrow residents and area leaders.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.