The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs has notified the Mashpee Wampanoag that their reservation will be disestablished and the land taken out of trust, the tribe revealed Saturday.

Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt notified the Mashpee Wampanoag of his decision on Friday, tribe Chairman Cedric Cromwell stated on the tribe’s website.

“[The] action was cruel and it was unnecessary. The Secretary is under no court order to take our land out of trust. He is fully aware that litigation to uphold our status as a tribe eligible for the benefits of the Indian Reorganization Act is ongoing,” Cromwell stated. “It begs the question, what is driving our federal trustee’s crusade against our reservation?”

The Mashpee Wampanoag have been involved in a prolonged legal battle over 321 acres of land in Taunton and a proposal to build a casino there.

A bill, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act (H.R. 312), sought to recognize and protect what was described as “tribal homeland.” It was passed by the House on May 15, 2019 but failed to win passage in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Before it arrived at the Senate, President Donald Trump sharply criticized it in a tweet: “Republicans shouldn’t vote for H.R. 312, a special interest casino Bill, backed by Elizabeth (Pocahontas) Warren. It is unfair and doesn’t treat Native Americans equally!”

Cromwell vowed to continue the fight.

“We have survived, we will continue to survive. These are our lands, these are the lands of our ancestors, and these will be the lands of our grandchildren,” he stated. “This Administration has come and it will go. But we will be here, always. And we will not rest until we are treated equally with other federally recognized tribes and the status of our reservation is confirmed.”