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Soo Tribe acquires land for temporary off-reservation casino

Friday, November 2, 2012


The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians acquired a site in Lansing, Michigan, for a temporary off-reservation casino.

The tribe paid $280,000, plus $9,000 in closing costs, for the parcel in downtown Lansing. The site will house a temporary facility until the tribe acquires a larger site for $960,000, as well as another property nearby, for a total value of $1.93 million.

The tribe is acquiring the land with funds from the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act. As a result, the tribe believes the Bureau of Indian Affairs will be required to place the land in trust.

"We have a right to have the land placed into trust irrespective of purpose," tribal attorney John Wernet told MLive.

The tribe plans to spend $245 million on the Lansing Kewadin Casino.

Get the Story:
City transfers land to tribe for Lansing casino project (The Lansing State Journal 11/2)
Plans for Lansing Casino Moving Forward (Fox 47 News 11/2)
Sault tribe completes land purchase, will move forward with proposed Lansing casino (MLIve 11/1)
Tribe buys Lansing land for casino, legal challenges loom (Michigan Radio 11/1)
‘Big flashing green light’ (The Lansing City Pulse 11/1) Related Stories:
Announcement set on Sault Tribe off-reservation casino project (11/1)