Quapaw Tribe blames non-Indian track in Arkansas for opposition

Monday, June 8, 2015

Quapaw Tribe Chairman John Berrey, left, meets Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Photo from Facebook

The Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma is accusing a non-Indian gaming facility of generating opposition to its land-into-trust application.

The tribe acquired 160 acres within its former reservation in Arkansas. Local officials have raised concerns about a casino but Chairman John Berrey has repeatedly insisted there aren't plans for one.

"For the record," Berrey said in a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs that was posted by The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "the tribe has no intention of changing the use of the tract, and in particular the tribe has no plans to seek approval to conduct gaming on this land."

Oaklawn Racing and Gaming in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Photo from Facebook

Berrey believes Oaklawn Racing and Gaming has been raising "unwarranted concerns" about the application. The letter accuses the non-Indian facility of "expending substantial resources" to generate opposition.

Oaklawn is located in Hot Springs in western Arkansas, about 60 miles from the tribe's site near the Port of Little Rock. In addition to live and simulcast horse races, the facility offers live table games and gaming machines.

The facility spokesperson was unavailable to comment about the tribe's accusation, the Democrat-Gazette reported.

Get the Story:
Tribe pens support of land trust (The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 6/6)

Relevant Documents:
NIGC Indian Land Opinion For Site in Kansas (November 2014)