Opinion: Potawatomi casino a success despite trail of tears

Thursday, June 3, 2010  

"Located just outside Milwaukee is one of the largest gaming casinos in the Midwest, the Potawatomi Casino owned by the Native American tribe of that same name.

The Potawatomi Casino was recently expanded with an additional $250 million investment by the Forest County Potawatomi government. More than four million people visit this entertainment complex each year to gamble, see live shows at the 500-seat theater, or relax in one of the restaurants in the facility. And the Potawatomi presence in southern Wisconsin is felt well beyond the walls of the casino.

The Potawatomi government donates to hundreds of local charities while the operations of the casino support employment and suppliers throughout the area. In addition, the Forest County Potawatomi pays taxes at both the municipal and state level.

The story of the Potawatomi people extends, of course, much further than these modern resort locations. If you were a fur trapper or Jesuit missionary camping on the western shores of Lake Michigan in the early 17th century, you might well have met some of these Native American people. The Potawatomi people colonized the upper Mississippi and lower Great Lakes before European people began to immigrate to the area. "

Get the Story:
Bob Gariano: Despite casino success, history of Potawatomi tribe is full of tears (The Lake Forester 6/3)