Here, from the Michigan House Regulatory Reform Committee:
Michigan Indian
Intertribal Fight in Michigan over Little River Off-Rez Casino Proposal
From the K’zoo Gazette via Pechanga:
FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP — A top official of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is lashing back at other Indian tribes, accusing them of delaying a proposed Fruitport Township casino to choke off potential competition for their casinos.
“We understand other casino interests do not want competition, but don’t delay jobs for the Muskegon region. Don’t delay revenues to the state School Aid Fund,” said Robert Memberto, commerce director for the Little River Band, which wants to build a casino at the former Great Lakes Downs race track.
He accused the other tribes of “throwing all kinds of minutiae to delay, delay and delay this project.”
Memberto delivered his plea last week to the House Regulatory Reform Committee in Lansing, which is deciding on a resolution that would pave the way for a Fruitport Township casino.
Leaders from three other tribes — the Gun Lake Tribe, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi — testified against the Little River Band proposal. They claimed that state approval of a casino in Fruitport Township would break an agreement that tribes in Michigan would not pursue off-reservation gambling unless all the tribes agreed. They also suggested that the authority of taking land into trust for off-reservation casinos rests with the U.S. Department of Interior, not state leadership.
Stupak Says EPA Decided Not to Require Federal Permit at Kennecott Mine
From ABS News.
Sault Tribe Chair Joe McCoy on the Loss of Greektown Casino
Well, they sent it to me, so I’ll post it:
I write this memo to our tribal and casino team members to inform you that after more than two years in Chapter 11 reorganization, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) transferred the license of Greektown Casino from the Tribe to a group of private hedge funds and investors from other states. This happened yesterday at a special meeting of the MGCB in Detroit. We anticipate that next week, ownership of the casino will be legally transferred to the group.
The transfer occurred after the MGCB conducted a relatively abbreviated background check of the new owners. We strongly objected to this decision. Concerns were also raised by state Representative Gary McDowell, D-Rudyard, Republican candidate for governor Mike Bouchard (who wrote the state law that governs the three Detroit casinos when he was in the state Senate), state Senate Majority Leader Michael Bishop, R-Troy, and Congressman Bart Stupak, D-Menominee. Unfortunately, the MGCB ignored all the concerns and abandoned its own rules and the process it has used over the years to license casino owners.
The board and I spent many days, weeks, and months reviewing plans and proposals that would allow us to keep a stake in Greektown. Though some might disagree, I truly believe we did all we could to save our interest in this investment. Now that this decision has been made, it is time for the Tribe to examine other opportunities we have to grow our revenue stream securing membership services for years to come.
DOI Letter re: Little River Band Off-Reservation Gaming Application
Interesting reading: Bert Johnson from Paula Hart — Compact Letter 6.16.10.
Does the Michigan Gaming Control Board Have Immunity from Race Discrimination Claims?
Seems like a worthy research item, after reading this and the general shoddy treatment the Board has given the Sault Tribe all these years.
From Indianz:
The Michigan Gaming Control Board approved the transfer of the Greektown Casino Hotel in Detroit to a new group of owners over protests from members of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Tribal members were upset because the tribe had to undergo an extensive investigation before obtaining the state license. The board waived the requirement for the new owners.
“A rubber glove in a doctor’s office is thorough. This was beyond that,” D.J. Hoffman, a member of the tribe’s board, said of his background check, The Detroit Free Press reported.
“It’s not fair to us,” added tribal member Denise Chase, The Detroit News reported. “You investigated us for two years.”
The tribe could have found new investors for the casino had it known about an exemption, tribal members said. “I’m just hoping that you apply the same standards that you expected of our tribe and our people,” Lana Causeley said, The Detroit News reported.
The casino went through bankruptcy proceedings.
Huron Potawatomi Election Results
From the Battle Creek Enquirer:
Huron Potawatomi announces tribal election results
Michelle Rahl • Reader Submitted • June 28, 2010
-The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi (NHBP) announced today the results of its election for Tribal Council. Three seats on the five-member Tribal Council were up for election on Saturday, April 24, 2010.
Tribal members voted to re-elect RoAnn Beebe-Mohr of West Olive to the Tribal Council along with newcomers Dorie Rios of Battle Creek and Nathaniel W. Spurr of Grosse Pointe. The positions are three-year terms. The Tribal election board certified the votes last month.
Beebe-Mohr, Rios and Spurr will join Homer A. Mandoka of Bronson, Michigan, and Jamie Stuck of Scotts, Michigan, who were re-elected to the Tribal Council last year.
Following the ‘swearing in of the new Council Members’, the Tribal Council voted to appoint Council members to the follow officers positions:
Homer A. Mandoka – Chairperson
Jamie P. Stuck – Vice-Chairperson
RoAnn Beebe-Mohr – Secretary
Dorie Rios – Treasurer
Nat W. Spurr Sergeant-at-Arms
“With the next election two years away, the Tribal Council will be able to roll up our sleeves and strive to accomplish our long-term goals and objectives” said Homer A. Mandoka, Chairperson of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi. “One of the Tribal Council’s main goals is the implementation of our Land Use Master Plan, which identifies land use for program and service expansion, including educational and recreational use, along with safe and affordable housing while preserving open spaces.”
The Tribal Council recently completed a tribal governance-training conference called “Building Strong Sovereign Nations.” The training was administered by the Michigan State University Extension and funded with a start up grant provided by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Additionally, the Tribal Council brought to the reservation for a two day intensive training session on parliamentary meeting rules with renowned trainer – James Mills of Creating Stronger Nations.
There are more than 1,100 Tribal members. The Tribe’s administrative offices are at the Pine Creek Reservation in Athens Township with a satellite office in Grand Rapids to better serve members.
Little River Withdraws Petition for Land into Trust, Will Likely Resubmit
From 6/25/10 MIRS (subscription only):
Feds Nix Indian Casino Expansion, For Now
At least for the time being, the U.S. Department of the Interior delayed a Michigan Native American tribe’s plan to move forward with a casino project near the site of the now-defunct Great Lakes Downs Racetrack near Muskegon.
The Little River Band of Chippewa Indians wants to open a casino on the Great Lakes Downs location. The tribe was one of the four tribes that compacted with the state in 1998 for the right to operate class III (Las Vegas style) casinos. It currently operates a casino in Manistee.
Because the location is not within current tribal boundaries, there are several hurdles the tribe would need to clear in order to operate a casino at the Muskegon site. One hurdle has already been cleared. On March 19, Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM signed two amendments to the state’s compact with the Little River band that would let it build the new casino.
The Governor attached her signature after a deal was negotiated between her administration and the tribe.
“It would mean considerable revenues,” John WERNET, deputy legal counsel told MIRS today. “The good news would be that this would mean more dollars for the School Aid Fund (SAF). The bad news is that this would take years before it happened.”
The next step would be to have the Legislature approve one of the amendments. This is HCR 0054, sponsored by Rep. Doug BENNETT (D-Muskegon), which is currently before the House Regulatory Reform Committee.
Meanwhile, the other amendment to the compact was sent to the U.S. Department of Interior for approval. That’s where the project hit a roadblock.
Continue reading
Asian Carp Caught Beyond Chicago’s Barriers
From the Traverse City Record-Eagle:
CHICAGO — An Asian carp was found for the first time beyond electric barriers meant to keep the voracious invasive species out of the Great Lakes, state and federal officials said Wednesday, prompting renewed calls for swift action to block their advance.
Commercial fishermen landed the 3-foot-long, 20-pound bighead carp in Lake Calumet on Chicago’s South Side, about six miles from Lake Michigan, according to the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee.
Officials said they need more information to determine the significance of the find.
“The threat to the Great Lakes depends on how many have access to the lakes, which depends on how many are in the Chicago waterway right now,” said John Rogner, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
But environmental groups said the discovery leaves no doubt that other Asian carp have breached barriers designed to prevent them from migrating from the Mississippi River system to the Great Lakes and proves the government needs to act faster.
“If the capture of this live fish doesn’t confirm the urgency of this problem, nothing will,” said Andy Buchsbaum, director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes office.
GTB Primary Election Certified
From the Leelanau Enterprise:
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians on June 10 completed a successful Primary Election process after experiencing delays earlier this spring.
“No challenges were filed and we certified the Primary Election,” reported Desmond Berry, chairman of the tribal Election Board. “We are moving forward with our schedule of events and look forward to a July 15, 2010 General Election,” he said.
The primary was originally scheduled for April with the General Election slated for last month. Election challenges delayed the process, however. The names of three candidates were removed from the original Primary Election ballot after the Election Board determined the three had violated campaign rules.
One of the candidates, incumbent tribal councilor Rebecca Woods, appealed the Election Board’s determination to the Tribal Judiciary. But the Election Board’s determination was upheld by the panel of Tribal Court judges.
Woods has since resigned from the Tribal Council and accepted a position as the tribe’s chief financial officer. The names of candidates Gail Diaz and Angela Shinos were also removed from the Primary Election ballot.
Turtle Talk 
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