Indian Gaming > Illinois county breaks off talks with Prairie Band

October 03, 2006

Illinois county breaks off talks with Prairie Band

Officials in DeKalb County, Illinois, said they don't recognize the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation's sovereignty over a farm where the tribe wants to build a Class II facility.

The county and the tribe were in discussions over a potential intergovernmental agreement. But after the Bureau of Indian Affairs issued a letter that raised questions about the tribe's sovereignty, the county broke off the talks.

The tribe, based in Kansas, says the BIA letter confirms its sovereignty over the 128-farm in Illinois. The land is located within a 1,200-acre former reservation that was never terminated.

The BIA letter says the tribe has a "credible" claim. But it says the tribe hasn't gone through the process to determine whether the farm is eligible for gaming.

Get the Story:
County ends talks with tribe (The Chicago Tribune 10/3)
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