The Interior Department must approve the application, according to the tribe. A provision in the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act states that land acquired by the tribe using settlement funds "shall be held in trust."
But there are other hurdles to clear, according to Turtle Talk. Even if the casino site is placed in trust, Michigan State University professor Matthew Fletcher said the tribe has to show it exercises governmental authority over the land. And a provision in the Class III gaming compact requires approval from all the other tribes for an off-reservation casino. “They have 11 negotiations to conduct before they can even submit an application," Fletcher told The Lansing City Pulse, referring to the other signatories of the compact. The Sault Tribe wants to build a casino in downtown Lansing, about 287 miles from tribal headquarters in Sault Ste. Marie. Documents show the tribe will pay $1.24 million for the gaming site, The Lansing State Journal reported. Get the Story:MSU Professor, Casino Expert Weighs In On Casino Debate (WLNS-TV 1/26)
Lansing casino: A closer look (The Lansing City Pulse 1/26)
Lansing casino documents: Sault Chippewa tribe would pay $1.24M for property (The Lansing State Journal 1/27)
Gun Lake tribe says a Lansing casino would break Gun Lake Casino's compact with the state (The Kalamazoo Gazette 1/27)
Fruitport Township, Lansing casino proposals feature similarities, differences (The Muskegon Chronicle 1/27) Related Stories:
Sault Tribe invokes land claim for off-reservation casino site (1/26)
Land claim settlement act might aid off-reservation casino (1/25)
Editorial: Off-reservation casino worth pursuing in Michigan (1/25)
Another tribe opposed to off-reservation casino in Michigan (1/24)
Editorial: Sault Tribe off-reservation casino bad for Michigan (1/24)
Turtle Talk: An unrealistic timeline for off-reservation casino (1/23)
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe announces off-reservation casino plans (1/23)