Indians protest casino proposal

03/30/2005

Patricia Lopez, Star Tribune
March 30, 2005


Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s proposal for a metro casino partnership with three northern American Indian bands may have hit another obstacle Tuesday: the resistance of some band members, who say they will try to force the issue to referendum votes on each of the three reservations involved.

More than three dozen members of the Leech Lake, White Earth and Red Lake bands traveled to the Capitol to protest their tribal leaders’ move for a joint state-tribal casino.

Wally Storbakken, a self-described “tribal activist” from Leech Lake, said that the proposal was “inherently bad” and that it would compromise the tribes’ sovereignty.

“If the intent is to help the tribes,” Storbakken said, “why is there such a high up-front licensing fee?” As part of the deal, the state is requiring the tribes to pay a $200 million licensing fee and take on most of the financial risk of running the casino. The tribes would own the casino, but the Minnesota State Lottery would own the 4,000 slot machines.

Storbakken, Leech Lake tribal activist Gerald White and others at Tuesday’s news conference said they worried about the liability the tribes might incur should the venture fail.

Lori Gellings, a White Earth tribal member, said that if the tribes went ahead with the deal, the state would have unprecedented say over tribal business and access to its books because of the casino. Pawlenty has said the deal would of necessity require the tribes to share data on winnings, overhead and other details that tribes with on-reservation casinos do not have to provide to the state.

Archie LaRose, the secretary-treasurer for the Leech Lake band and an outspoken opponent of the proposal, said he thinks the issue will go to a referendum vote on the Leech Lake reservation and fail.

Leech Lake Chairman George Goggleye, who testified on behalf of the proposal at the Capitol on Tuesday, said LaRose, Storbakken and others represented a small but vocal dissident group that had been spreading misinformation.

“Most of these people were ousted when I was elected,” Goggleye said. “I have no worries about a referendum. I think it’s appropriate that we inform our people and that they have a say. But this faction is talking about things that aren’t entirely true ... “

Another opponent, Birdie Lyons of the White Earth band, said she resented Pawlenty casting the casino as a fairness issue. The proposal to expand gambling grew out of Pawlenty’s determination to have the state share in tribal casino profits.

“We have paid more than our fair share,” Lyons said. We’ve paid through the relentless theft of our land and resources. We’ve paid through the forced removal of our children, through continued racism.” Pawlenty’s proposal would divide Indians, Lyons said, and turn tribe against tribe. That was wrong, she said. “We are all brothers and sisters.”