BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A showdown over gambling on the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation happened on this day in history.

In 1987, the tribal council ordered all gambling parlors closed and slot machines removed. The tribe’s lawyers were worried the reservation was in violation of federal organized crime laws, because new York did not have laws allowing gambling.

The ruling led to protests from Mohawks who felt the tribe should not have to follow federal law.

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