The Shinnecock Indians are facing a major setback in their fight to be recognized as an official tribe.

Department of Interior officials acknowledged their position in a letter to Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) last month that they will not abide by a recent U.S. District Court ruling that the Shinnicocks should be a federally recognized tribe. The decision leaves the fate of the Shinnicocks' plan to build a casino in the Hamptons hanging in the balance.

The legal battle over the land now goes back to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where it could take years before a final decision is reached.