Laura Spurr, the chairwoman for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan, died on Friday. She was 64.

Spurr was making a presentation at the casino owned by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians in California when she suffered a heart attack. She was there to talk about her tribe's quest to open a casino.

Spurr led the tribe as it battled anti-gaming groups in and out of court. The tribe's land finally went into trust after a lengthy battle and the FireKeepers Casino opened last August.

"Without Laura being the tribal chair, it probably wouldn’t have got done,” Secretary RoAnn Beebe-Mohr told The Battle Creek Enquirer. “She was a very strong leader.”

Spurr will be buried on Saturday.

Get the Story:
Spurr leaves diverse legacy (The Battle Creek Enquirer 2/21)
Spurr, tribal chairwoman, dies at 64 (The Battle Creek Enquirer 2/20)
Late-week services set for tribal chairwoman Laura Spurr (The Kalamazoo Gazette 2/20)