Here is that letter: Bay Mills Ltr 12 16 10.
Bay Mills’ legal theory (at least as presented to the NIGC) is here.
Michigan Indian
Detroit News Laments “Low-Rent Casinos” in Editorial re: Bay Mills Vanderbilt Casino Start-Up
A cheap shot from the News:
Editorial: Rolling the dice
Allowing a slot machine hall without state involvement opens door to proliferation of low-rent casinos
The latest tribal casino imbroglio illustrates what a tangled web government weaves when it attempts to determine who will be winners and losers in the marketplace. Five tribes want Michigan to crack down on a new slot machine hall the Bay Mills Indian Community has installed 100 miles south of its Upper Peninsula headquarters near Brimley, arguing it violates the spirit of the law allowing casinos on tribal land.
In a perfect world, casino locations would be based on business prospects. But because gambling is a regulated industry, the state is going to have to wade into this controversy, and Gov.-elect Rick Snyder will inherit the job of negotiating some new ground rules with the Indian communities regarding the proliferation of casinos.
Congrats to Dr. Matthew Van Astine Makomenaw!!!!
From the Univ. of Utah Press Release:
December 13, 2010 — The University of Utah announced today that Matthew Van Alstine Makomenaw, Ph.D., has joined the Office for Equity and Diversity as the director of the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC).
Makomenaw, a member of the Odawa tribe, from the Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and Little Traverse Bay of Odawa Indians, has extensive experience working with American Indian students in higher education. He was the director of Native American Programs at Central Michigan University, an adjunct faculty member at the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College and served on the Board of Regents for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College.
The American Indian Resource Center provides support to American Indian students toward achieving success in an academically competitive environment as they strive to reach their full potential. As the director, Makomenaw will guide the development and implementation of campus-wide plans for enhancing the success of American Indian students while working with American Indian tribes and nations in the state.
Pokagon Potawatomi and IUPUI Sign Education and Cultural Preservation Agreement
From ICT:
On Nov. 18, in a scene replete with blanket give-a-ways and reminiscent of a treaty signing, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians entered into a mutual agreement to develop educational and cultural preservation programs on the Indianapolis campus of Indiana University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.
Historic in many ways, IUPUI became one of the few universities that supports a better understanding and appreciation of American Indian ingenuity, philosophy and contributions-at-large. Most important is the university’s willingness to work closely with the Pokagons and IUPUI American Indian Programs in the development and implementation of these initiatives.
The Pokagons are the only federally recognized tribe in Indiana with a two-state designation of Indian country status in northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Indiana University, with eight campuses in Indiana including the South Bend campus, lies within Pokagon Band access for educational programs.
The full day of events was created to heighten the awareness and understanding on the campus and in the community of the nature of this government-to-government relationship. While many see IUPUI as a state university, the official signing ceremony brought special recognition to the sovereignty of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.
Interlochen Public Radio on the Bay Mills Vanderbilt Casino Controversy
Here.
A small casino that just opened last month in Vanderbilt is already growing. The Gaylord Herald Times reports leaders of the Bay Mills Indian Community are building on to the small facility, even as questions abound over its legality.
Several other Indian nations say it is not legal and that Vanderbilt is not place Bay Mills has any historic claim to. That’s a traditional litmus test with off-reservation gaming.
The state has yet to decide whether the casino is legal.
It’s no more than a few dozen slot machines and even after expansion, it will be just 2,600 square feet. But it’s widely speculated that this is a test case, and that the tribe would like to build in other places, such as Port Huron.
Play the audio above for more on the legal questions, as seen by Matthew Fletcher. He’s a member of the Grand Traverse Band and an Indian law expert at the Michigan State University College of Law. He spoke with IPR’s Linda Stephan.
Bay Mills to Expand Vanderbilt Casino
From Indianz:
The Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan is already expanding its controversial off-reservation casino.
The tribe opened the 1,200 square-foot facility on November 3. A 1,400 square-foot addition will more than double the size of the casino.
“It’s going as well as we had expected. On opening day we were tickled pink with the number of people who showed up,” spokesperson Shannon Jones told The Petoskey News-Review
Other tribes say the facility is illegal. But Bay Mills says it’s entitled to open a casino in connection with a land claim settlement.
Get the Story:
Casino expands in Vanderbilt (The Petoskey News-Review 12/8)
Bay Mills Indian Community Submission to NIGC re: Vanderbilt Casino
This document was submitted in support the Bay Mills Indian Community’s amendment to their gaming ordinance, and appears to be the legal justification for their Vanderbilt casino.
Here it is: Bay Mills Submission to NIGC.
Federal Court Declines to Shut Out the Asian Carp
Here is the opinion: 12-3-10 Opinion & Order.
While the motion for preliminary injunction was denied, the case was not dismissed on immunity grounds.
Little Traverse Bay Bands Completes Financing Restructure
Here is the press release: LTBBOI Press Release Financial Restructure
An excerpt:
The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (“LTBBOI”) is pleased to announce the completion of a financial restructuring with its bondholders. An exchange offer to holders of its $122 million 10.25% Senior Notes due 2014, which was launched October 26, 2010, has closed and is effective today.The transaction will result in the exchange of $143 million of existing Senior Notes and related unpaid accrued interest, for $23 million of cash and $40 million of new 9.0% Senior Secured Notes due 2020.
Article on McGulpin Rock
Once the reader is past the part where the French “discovered” the rock, were the first to use it as a navigational tool, and realize its importance in 1749, the article quotes Eric Hemenway about its role in Anishnabek history.
From UpNorthLive.com:
MACKINAW CITY, MI — Now when you think of Thanksgiving and a historical rock, Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts probably comes to mind with its connection to Pilgrims and the landing of the Mayflower, and it could be the most popular rock in America.
But a rock on the shores of the Straits of Mackinac has just as much history, if not a lot more.
This giant boulder on the Straits of Mackinac, just west of Mackinaw City, has a rockin’ history. Its name–McGulpin Rock. It’s something that Sandy Planisek, a member of the Emmet County Historical Commission, said never made this history books because the French discovered it, and much of American history is based on the English and East coast America.
“It’s bigger, it has more historical value, and it’s something people should be aware of,” Planisek said.
Before the English settled on the east coast, French explorers traveled the Great Lakes. In 1615, Etienne Brule was the first believed to cross the Great Lakes, and he took note of McGulpin rock, five years before the Mayflower landed at Plymouth. He wrote Native Americans used the rock as a Navigational tool and to gauge the lakes’ water levels. In 1749, it was mentioned in the first known map of the Great Lakes, and was placed on it as a navigational aide for the French’s Fort Michilimackinac.
“It’s a perfect water level indicator and the people back in 1749 realized that and used it in that way,” said Planisek.
To give you an idea of how enormous McGulpin rock is, I stood next to it. I’m six foot four. The rock towers over me and is as wide as a semi. It’s also about 10 times as big as Plymouth Rock. And if you dig deeper in the history, the boulder dates way back before any European explorers settled in the Americas.
“When the Anishnabek were traveling back and forth, they’d see the rock and know that they were close to home, and you can just imagine, in conditions like this, if you’re traveling in a canoe, you’d want the most visible sign, and this rock would fulfill that,” said Eric Hemenway, an Odawa Historian.
Eric Hemenway, an Odawa historian, says the rock has a rich history with the Native tribes and also is an indicator of the Michigan Native American role in pre-America.
“There’s so much history in the Plains and out west, we like to say, hey, a lot went on in the Great Lakes that had a big influence on American History and this is a big part of it,” said Hemenway.
No, it’s not guarded or encased like Plymouth Rock, nor does it have near the amount of notoriety as the east coast Pilgrim landing marker, but Emmet County is trying to change that. The county is challenging people out east in Plymouth, saying, if you send your visitors here, we’ll send our visitors there. They’re hoping to increase the number of people to come check out this long-lasting piece of history.
Emmet County is working on getting a historical marker for the rock at McGulpin Point.
Last year, about 25,000 visitors visited McGulpin Rock.
They hope this challenge will increase that number.
Turtle Talk 
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