Michigan Indian

Casinos close to cashing in

Wenona Singel1 Comment

by Chris Killian | Special to the Gazette

Saturday February 09, 2008, 6:32 PM

Two area gambling hubs could open by late next year, pending court ruling

Mark Bugnaski / GazetteKristine Albers checks new decks of cards at The Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo in August. By mid-to-late 2009, southwest Michigan could have two more casinos.

Two Native American casinos could be open in Southwest Michigan by the middle to end of next year, bringing with them an estimated 3,000 casino jobs, another 2,600 spin-off jobs and the potential for millions of dollars in annual local-revenue sharing. They would become the 22nd and 23rd casinos in the state, and both would be within an hour’s drive of Kalamazoo.Ground could be broken as soon as this spring on both the FireKeepers Casino in Emmett Township, just east of Battle Creek, and the Gun Lake Casino, in Wayland Township, about 35 miles north of Kalamazoo on U.S. 131.

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Little River Ottawa Proposal to Game in Muskegon

Matthew L.M. Fletcher2 Comments

From Indianz:

Little River Band interested in off-reservation casino

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is entering the off-reservation casino game in Muskegon, Michigan.

The tribe plans to make a presentation to the city commission on Monday. Ogema Larry Romanelli says the tribe is interested in a casino in Muskegon — about 80 miles from tribal headquarters in Manistee. The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians recently proposed an off-reservation casino in Muskegon. The tribe’s headquarters are about 500 miles away. The Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians, an unrecognized tribe, is also interested in a casino in the city.

Get the Story:
Muskegon officials to hear another casino pitch (The Muskegon Chronicle 2/8)

Granholm Amendment to Bay Mills Charlotte Beach Settlement

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

As reported earlier, here is the amendment to the Bay Mills Indian Community settlement agreement executed last November.

Bay Mills Indian Community 2002 Settlement

Bay Mills Indian Community 2007 Settlement Amendment

Written Testimony from House Resources Hearing re: Off-Rez Gaming

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Carl Artman–Dept. of Interior

 Jeff Parker–Bay Mills Indian Community

Aaron Payment–Sault Tribe

Alan Lambert–Romulus

Karl Tomion–Port Huron

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Abramoff-Style Media Assault on Port Huron/Flint/Romulus Deal

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Port Huron Times Herald:

Casino foes launch blitzes in Detroit, D.C.

A media blitz aimed at rallying opposition to proposed casinos in Port Huron and Romulus is being orchestrated by a public-relations consultant who has worked for some of the biggest names in Democratic politics.

Peter Ragone III confirmed he is president of the newly created Americans for Gaming Reform Inc., which has launched a radio campaign in Detroit and bought a full-page ad Tuesday in Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill.

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News Coverage of House Hearing on Port Huron/Romulus Indian Land Claims Settlement: “Scam”?

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Detroit Free Press:

During his testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee, Kilpatrick seemed at ease, defending his city from incursions he said no one should doubt would hurt Detroit’s three casinos.

“We’re pitting Port Huron against Romulus against Detroit,” he told the committee, with his mother, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, looking on.

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Pokagon Lawyer Becomes Director of Mitchell Museum of the American Indian

Wenona Singel

By Charles Storch |Tribune reporter

February 4, 2008

A tribal lawyer turned academic is to take over this week as executive director of the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, marking the first time in the Evanston institution’s 30-year-history that it will be led by a Native American.

John Low, 51, of Park Ridge, is familiar with the Mitchell, having been a curatorial assistant there a few years ago. He said he hopes to use that knowledge and his contacts in the Native American community to build on the museum’s strengths.

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Anthropologists, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council investigating discovery of human remains

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Saginaw Chippewa Tribe inspects Flint site where bones were found

FLINT — Members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe were in Flint today inspecting land that is believed to be an Indian burial site.

Earlier this week, construction crews dug up several bones on Stone Street and Third Avenue, which officials now believe could belong to as many as five people. An anthropologist determined the bones are from Native American people and pre-date the 20th century.

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Fort on ICWA and Michigan Tribal-State Court Comity

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

“A Review of the Indian Child Welfare Act, M.C.R. 2.615, and Tribal Court Jurisdiction in Michigan Family Law Cases,” by Kathyrn Fort.

From the Michigan Child Welfare Law Journal [scroll to page 11].

House Resources Committee Meeting re: BMIC and Sault Tribe Land Claims Settlement Bills — Feb. 6

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

The House Natural Resources Committee, led by Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), will hold a legislative hearing on the following bills:

  • H.R. 2176 (Stupak): To provide for and approve the settlement of certain land claims of the Bay Mills Indian Community.
  • H.R. 4115 (Dingell): To provide for and approve the settlement of certain land claims of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

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