The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians hopes to submit a land-into-trust application for its off-reservation casino by the summer, a spokesperson told WLNS-TV.
The Interior Department must approve the application, according to the tribe. A provision in the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act states that land acquired by the tribe using settlement funds "shall be held in trust."
But there are other hurdles to clear, according to Turtle Talk. Even if the casino site is placed in trust, Michigan State University professor Matthew Fletcher said the tribe has to show it exercises governmental authority over the land. And a provision in the Class III gaming compact requires approval from all the other tribes for an off-reservation casino. “They have 11 negotiations to conduct before they can even submit an application," Fletcher told The Lansing City Pulse, referring to the other signatories of the compact. The Sault Tribe wants to build a casino in downtown Lansing, about 287 miles from tribal headquarters in Sault Ste. Marie. Documents show the tribe will pay $1.24 million for the gaming site, The Lansing State Journal reported. Get the Story: