Opinion: Leech Lake in dark on off-reservation casino

Thursday, April 7, 2005  

"As Secretary-Treasurer of the Leech Lake Reservation, I am outraged by the lack of concern shown to the band members by area politicians, and more specifically by our own Tribal Council. The House Gaming Division approved a bill late Friday night that would authorize the Leech Lake Tribal Council to participate in a scheme to open a casino somewhere in the metro area.

Some might wonder why I, and most Leech Lake members, would object to such a deal as it sounds like it would offer lots of money to our Tribe and allow us to expand our market share well beyond our reservation borders. The problem is that the Tribal Council has forgotten about their responsibility to the Leech Lake people, and they have made commitments and agreements on behalf of our people without giving us an opportunity to participate in the process."

Get the Story:
Arthur "Archie" LaRose: Tribal members in the dark (The Walker Pilot Independent 4/7)