'Shameful': Little River Band blames rival tribes for delaying off-reservation casino

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Artist's rendering of proposed off-reservation casino in Fruitport Township, Michigan. Image: Little River Band

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is blaming rival tribes for delaying a decision on a long-awaited off-reservation casino in Michigan.

The tribe thought the casino was moving forward after the Bureau of Indian Affairs released a draft environmental impact statement for the project in Fruitport Township. But the BIA has since reopened the comment period and the tribe's ogema, or leader, thinks the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe and the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, also known as the Gun Lake Tribe, are behind the delay.

“They've known about this project; this is an attempt to slow down the process,” Ogema Larry Romanelli told MLive. “We will prevail. … I just think some of their actions are shameful.”

Comments are now being accepted through April 17, according to a notice published in the Federal Register on Monday. No reason was given in the document, which was signed by Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney.

The tribe is pursuing the casino under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. If the BIA approves, the state governor will have the final say on the project.

The only two-part determination casino in Michigan was approved for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community back in 2000. Nationally, fewer than 10 tribes have completed both steps of the process, which typically takes several years to complete.

Read More on the Story

Tribes’ objections to Muskegon area casino ‘shameful,’ chief says (MLive March 19, 2019) $P

Federal Register Notices

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Little River Band Trust Acquisition and Casino Project, Township of Fruitport, Muskegon County, Michigan (March 18, 2019)
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Little River Band Trust Acquisition and Casino Project, Township of Fruitport, Muskegon County, Michigan (November 21, 2018)
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Fruitport Casino Project, Fruitport Township, Muskegon County, Michigan (September 21, 2015)