Artist's rendering of the proposed North Fork Rancheria casino. Image from North Fork Casino Environmental Impact Statement
In the past, off-reservation casino proposals drew opposition from local groups and members of Congress. Now it's other tribes who are leading the battle. In California, the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians won approval at the state and federal level to open an off-reservation casino. But two tribes with existing casinos -- Table Mountain Rancheria and the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians contributed -- are financing a ballot initiative to kill the project. Money is playing a role in Wisconsin too. After the Menominee Nation won federal approval for its casino, the Forest County Potawatomi Community stepped up donations to Republicans -- the governor who will make the final decision on the $800 million casino in Kenosha is a Republican. “There was a time when tribes felt like we’re all in this together, everyone can get a piece of the pie,” Phil Hogen, who served as chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission during the Bush administration, told The New York Times. “That unity has diminished over time, maybe regrettably.” Get the Story:
Tribes Clash as Casinos Move Away From Home (The New York Times 3/4)
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