From the Detroit News:
WASHINGTON — Indian tribes face long odds in winning federal approval for casinos hundreds of miles away from their reservations, the Bush administration told Congress on Wednesday.
In defending the decision to reject 22 such off-reservation casino applications around the country, officials further angered tribal leaders who told the House Resources Committee that the government is trying to force Indians to stay on reservations with high unemployment and few opportunities.
“This is paternalistic and oppressive,” said Hazel Hindsley, chairwoman of the St. Croix Chippewa of Wisconsin, which had sought federal approval of a casino project about 330 miles from their two reservations.
Some lawmakers from Michigan and Nevada have criticized the plan, saying it amounted to a back-door attempt by some tribes to gain land hundreds of miles from their reservation to build casinos outside of the normal process prescribed by federal gaming laws.
Earlier this month, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick urged Congress not to pave the way for the casinos because they would undermine the city’s revitalization efforts by pulling business from Detroit’s three casinos.
Government officials wrote to 11 other tribes in January, rejecting their applications on the grounds that a far-flung casino could diminish the reservation population.
An additional 11 tribes received letters saying their off-reservation gaming applications were insufficient and would not be considered.
Assistant Secretary Carl Artman testified at Wednesday’s hearing that the Bureau of Indian Affairs “is used to dealing with requests for land 20, 30 or 50 miles away from a tribe’s reservation. The BIA is not accustomed to assessing applications for land 100, 200 or 1500 miles away from a tribe’s reservation.”
The Detroit News contributed to this report.
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