Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina saw a 12 percent drop in per capita payments.
Each tribal member received $3,892, down from $4,473 last December. Payments are distributed twice a year. “When the casino was brought in it was to help us live better,” tribal member Charlene Cornwell told The Asheville Citizen-Times. “We were promised that the checks would never go down.” The payments reflect a drop in business at the Harrah's Cherokee Casino. The tribe laid off 5 percent of the workforce in January. Get the Story: