Although the plan still awaits federal approval--necessary because the tribe would build the casino away from its own lands--it appears the tribe will soon be cashing in on its casino.

Unless, of course, Roosevelt defeats Weld at the polls next month.

Assuming the tribe obtains federal permission to build the casino, it would have to enter an agreement with the state government. And Roosevelt has said that he has other plans for New Bedford.

Cultural Identity

Only some are excited about the possibility of employing a large segment of the tribe's 682 members at a casino.

Others say the Wampanoags--who will likely have jobs such as bartending and dealing cards--may be corrupted by their involvement with the massive gambling operation.

But tribal council members, who have pushed the casino project from the beginning, disagree.

"They're setting us on a different level than everyone else," says Beverly M. Wright, the tribal council chair. "Donald Trump has his casinos. Do people say it's going to corrupt his culture because he's making money on this?"

Despite their leaders' enthusiasm, some Wampanoags say that they don't want to be famous for running a casino.

"I don't want to see the Wampanoag name stuck on some silly carnival ride or a hamburger joint," says Marc E. Widdiss, a member of the tribe. "This does nothing to enhance our image."

The casino's appeal, at least in the minds of supporters, is its potential for raising funds--not as an end in itself, but for the long-term goal of restoring the tribe's sense of unity.

Because of the scarcity of jobs on the island, only 300 of the nearly 700 Wampanoags live on Martha's Vineyard--and none live on the tribal land. No one speaks the Wampanoag language.

And tribal member Willard M. Marden III says tribal functions are becoming less and less important to younger Wampanoags, for most of whom "there's not a lot of contact" with the tribe or its traditions.

Cultural awareness and tribal unity are closely bound to the gambling project, according to Jeffrey Madison, the tribe's director of economic development.

"I see so many Wampanoag people who don't know who they are, who aren't proud of where they came from and who their ancestors were," says Jeffrey Madison, who would oversee the distribution of casino revenues should the plan be approved.