Indian Gaming > Nottawaseppi Huron Band sees hope in casino

September 14, 2009

Nottawaseppi Huron Band sees hope in casino

Members and leaders of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians say the tribe's casino will help them become self-sufficient.

The FireKeepers Casino is expected to bring in at least $100 million a year just from slot machines. Revenues will help the tribe fund government services and programs.

"This is our homeland and we was self-sufficient in the first place, long before the non-Indian people came," Ruth Ann Chivis, 58, told The Battle Creek Enquirer. "This just proves that we came full circle."

The tribe has to pay off debt associated with construction and management of the casino. The Class III gaming compact also calls for sharing 10 percent of slot revenues with local and state governments.

"Give us a year," Chairwoman Laura Spurr told the paper. "Let us determine what we have to pay off the rest of the year and then we can see what we have after that."

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