The Little River Band accused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, above, of making a decision based on \u201cmisinformation.\u201d (Image: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cThis basically flattens it for us,\u201d Larry Romanelli, Ogema of the Little River Band, told MLive<\/em>. \u201cI just appreciate the community support over the years. They\u2019ve been very supportive, and I feel bad for the community as well as my tribe.\u201d<\/p>\nBecause it would have been an off-reservation casino, the proposal required the approval of the federal government and the state. The Department of Interior gave its blessing to the plan in December 2020. But Whitmer said she was reluctant to follow suit until the matter of another tribe\u2019s bid to gain federal recognition was resolved.<\/p>\n
Grand River Band Opposition <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians has applied to the US Interior Department (DOI) for recognition. If granted, it would give the tribe the right to build its own casino on its sovereign lands. The decision has been delayed by the pandemic and is currently expected in October.<\/p>\n
The federal government denied Whitmer\u2019s request for an extension to the Thursday deadline for her decision on the casino, pending the outcome of the Grand River Band application. The DOI also declined to expedite its decision on the tribe’s federal status.<\/p>\n
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The Grand River Band has opposed the Little River Band\u2019s casino ambitions and claims ancestral ties to the land where it would have been built. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\nBut should they receive federal recognition, their tribal lands that would be eligible for a casino are 92 miles away from the site.<\/p>\n
As such, Romanelli bemoaned that Whitmer \u201cdenied it on misinformation\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s an absolutely wrong decision,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u2018Big Deal\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\nLocal lawmakers, business owners, and community leaders also expressed their disappointment at the decision to axe the casino project, which had broad local support.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m upset at the decision because I know how big of a deal this was for the greater Muskegon area, but more so, for the Little River Band and what they\u2019ve been through over the years,\u201d State Rep. Terry Sabo (D-Muskegon) told MLive.<\/em><\/p>\nThey have done everything that government has asked them to do, whether it be local government or state government or federal government, with the expectation at the end that they\u2019d get a casino,\u201d <\/strong>Sabo said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhitmer said she would be willing to revisit the Little River Band project once the question of the Grand River Band\u2019s federal recognition is resolved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday rejected a proposed off-reservation casino for near Fruitport, Muskegon County. The decision effectively torpedoes the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians‘ 12-year effort to build the casino on the site of the former Great Downs racetrack. \u201cThis basically flattens it for us,\u201d Larry Romanelli, Ogema of the Little River […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":217541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,18456],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Michigan Gov. Whitmer Quashes Little River Band Casino Proposal<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n