An Opportunity To Resolve The Charlotte Beach Land Claim

Two groups -- Michigan Is Yours and Racing to Save Michigan -- are seeking to place initiatives on the November ballot that would allow up to 15 new casinos in the state. Michigan's gambling revenue is the fifth highest in the nation. An obvious threat to the current 23 casinos in Michigan, what is the Sault Tribe doing to resolve the Charlotte Beach Land swap for Romulus?

Background

The Sault Tribe and Bay Mills made an agreement with then Michigan Governor Engler for a land swap in lower Michigan. In exchange for giving up land claims to Charlotte Beach we would get land in either Romulus, Flint or County of Monroe and Bay Mills would get land in Port Huron. Both settlements went before Congress for approval in 2008. The agreements, included in H.R. 2176 and H.R. 4115, were voted out of the Committee on Natural Resources in March 2008. On June 25, 2008, H.R. 2176 failed passage in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since we lost in 2008, we have been in major recession and new President. And everyone needs money. What a great time to advocate for a the Charlotte Beach land swap resolution. Right?

Our Options

A few options are available to the Sault Tribe and Bay Mills to resolve the Charlotte Beach Land swap and build casinos.

1. When the compacts are renegotiated in 2013, we can ask for our land swap. Which would also require legislative approval of a concurrent resolution ratifying the new compact agreements. But if we wait that long, we could loose valuable land as Port Huron and Romulus are up for grabs. Tribes could argue now with the State of Michigan, no expansion of new casinos until our land claim is resolved. Someone from the Sault Tribe leadership needs to push this issue with the state. This is a perfect opportunity for the Sault Tribe.
2. We could press for Federal legislation ratifying the settlement agreements in exchange for the release of tribal claims to the land.
3. The Sault Ste. Marie tribe could file suit in Federal court regarding these land claims, with the risk being that the outcome could confirm the Michigan Court of Appeals ruling (The Bay Mills tribe filed suit in 1996 against the State of Michigan seeking monetary damages for the loss of the land. Both the Court of Claims and the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled against the tribe in these matters.)
   
   To read more about the Charlotte Beach land claim download Tribal Gaming Issues In Michigan Revised July 2009 PDF by clicking here and go to page 11.

New Leaders = New Ideas and Rid Us Of Bad Habits

After this years 2010 Sault Tribe elections, I encourage our hopefully all new elected Sault Tribe leaders to not let this opportunity slip by. New candidates for the Sault Tribe, please push this issue forward. Please look into this and report your findings to the membership. I think this could also be part of the current negotiations with losing Greektown, that in turn we get to build our own casino on tribal lands and potentially use the same land for other business opportunities to diversify the Sault Tribe Portfolio.
Supporting Articles:
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