Cherokee Nation disputes disruption of sensitive sites at new casino

Thursday, November 8, 2018  

The Cherokee Nation is disputing claims that construction of a new casino has disturbed sensitive sites in northeastern Oklahoma.

There is no evidence of lodge mounds at the site of the casino, a former tribal historical preservation officer told The Tahlequah Daily Press. And construction is not harming wetlands, the tribe said, citing environmental studies submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs as part of the land-into-trust process.

"The archeological survey required by the BIA to play the land into trust is required for that very reason - to ensure culturally significant sites are not disturbed in any way," a tribal spokesperson told the paper.

A local artist who claims to be Cherokee disagrees. Murv Jacob accused the tribe of acting in a "non-Indian" way by disturbing wetlands.

"I kind of think the wild birds ought to be able to come here - where they've come since the last Ice Age - and not have to deal with this Indian tribe that is so non-Indian that they don't mind destroying the wetlands that have made this place inhabitable," Jacob, who is not eligible for enrollment in the Cherokee Nation, told the paper.

The tribe broke ground in March. The casino is going up at the Cherokee Springs Plaza, a mixed-use economic development site in Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation.

“We believe in making sound investments that have a lasting impact on the Cherokee Nation and the Cherokee people,” Principal Chief Bill John Baker said at the time. “This new property will be a regional attraction for tourism and economic development and is a complement to the work happening at Cherokee Springs Plaza and all over the Tahlequah area.”

The 154-acre site features several retail, dining and entertainment options, including the 18-hole Cherokee Springs Golf Course. Approximately 50 acres are being used for the 92,000-square-foot casino and that portion of the property is held in trust.

Survey: No cultural relics at casino construction site (The Tahlequah Daily Press November 7, 2018)