The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan recently removed 50 people from the rolls, cutting them off from $58,000 in casino per capita payments.
Former members who were ousted say greed is behind the disenrollments. Revenues at the tribe's casinos have dropped in recent years so there is less to go around. “This is all about money,” Bill Masterson told The Detroit News. “The leadership is in a financial bind that they will do anything to get out of.” Ironically, those on the other side contend the issue is also about money. They say people signed up with the tribe only to get a share of casino funds. “It’s greed. That’s all it is,” Gary Sprague told the paper. According to the paper, the annual per capita payment in 2003 was $78,000. Get the Story: