It’s not likely the High Court will issue the final word on whether the Bay Mills Indian Community can run its casino in Vanderbilt. But it’s possible justices could issue a broad ruling with implications for tribal business across the nation, says tribal law expert Matthew Fletcher. He says the court could radically change the way tribes are, or are not, shielded from lawsuits. “They could cut any way they chose and issue an opinion that is relatively broad in regards to tribal sovereignty in this area,” says Fletcher, who runs the Indigenous Law and Policy Center at Michigan State University. He says the result could be that tribes think twice about investing money off the reservation. “You can’t put it in your mattress,” he says. “But perhaps into overseas banks or something to that effect.”Get the Story: