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U.S. NEWS Thursday 27 June 2019

Tribe’s push to build casino spurs Carolinas political fight

By GARY D. ROBERTSON of the state’s most prolific
and JEFFREY COLLINS campaign donors — al-
Associated Press ready runs two successful
CATAWBA INDIAN NATION, casinos in the far western
S.C. (AP) — Two of the region of the state.
Carolinas’ most prominent Those operations, the first of
American Indian tribes are which opened in 1997, have
battling over geography transformed the fortunes of
and lucrative gambling the tribe’s 16,000-member
turf. Eastern Band of Cherokee
The Cherokee in North Car- Indians and surrounding
olina, with two casinos es- Appalachian counties, cre-
tablished in the mountains, ating jobs, state-of-the-art
say their opponents should government services and
stay in their own state to payments of about $12,000
the south. The Catawba of annually to each tribal
South Carolina argue such member.
state boundaries are arti- Harris says his tribe — whose
ficial and shouldn’t affect federal recognition was
their effort to gain a foot- restored in 1993 after its
hold in the industry. removal 40 years earlier —
The Catawba Indian Na- deserves the same prosper-
tion, with a 700-acre ity.
(283-hectare) reservation A casino, he says, would
in upstate South Carolina, rescue a reservation popu-
has been unable to build lation whose 28% poverty
a high-stakes gambling op- rate for families is nearly In an April 26, 2019 photo, Catawba Indian Nation Chief Bill Harris talks about how his South
eration in the state despite twice the state average: Carolina-based tribe is trying to get permission to build a casino in North Carolina but is getting
a 1993 federal law that Ca- “The opportunities would heavy opposition from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, during an interview at the Catawba
tawba Chief Bill Harris says be limitless.” s reservation near Rock Hill, S.C.
was supposed to open the Six years ago, the Catawba Associated Press
door for them to do so. The filed an application with was “clear that the benefits offered and whether North on the side of the Chero-
tribe blames fierce anti- the Interior Department to that Congress intended for Carolina would receive a kees on this one,” Sneed
gambling opposition from get permission to build on the tribe” in a settlement cut of the revenues. says. He says territorial
South Carolina leaders. the Kings Mountain acre- the federal government Cherokee Eastern Band agreements the tribes
Instead the Catawba are age. But then-North Caroli- reached with the Catawba Principal Chief Richard reached with the federal
hoping to revive previ- na Gov. Pat McCrory, more in 1993 “have not been re- Sneed says the senators’ bill government long ago were
ously failed efforts to build than 100 legislators and alized.” He took no formal could have “devastating” based in part on informa-
a casino in North Carolina state House Speaker Thom stand on the legislation. economic consequences tion from a 19th century
just 35 miles (56 kilometers) Tillis — now a U.S. senator Graham remarked, “I’m in his tribe’s region, where map that shows there was
northwest of the Catawba and one of the sponsors of from South Carolina. No- poverty used to be ram- no Catawba-controlled
reservation, specifically the current bill — shot down body, nobody objects to pant. A Catawba casino land in North Carolina after
along Interstate 85 in the the idea. the Catawbas having land could siphon visitors from the mid-1700s.
Charlotte suburb of Kings Tillis spokesman Dan Keylin in North Carolina and in es- South Carolina and the Catawba chief Harris says
Mountain, where they say says the senator changed tablishing a gambling op- eastern two-thirds of North the land in question is well
they have a historical and his mind about the tribe’s eration as long as it’s con- Carolina who want to play within the tribe’s ancient
legal claim to land. request because local sistent with the law.” blackjack, roulette and boundaries and also just 8
Powerful U.S. senators Kings Mountain-area lead- Some people north of the slots — and previously did miles (13 kilometers) from
from both states are back- ers have contacted his of- border feel differently. so at the Cherokee-owned the site in northern South
ing them, but their efforts fice expressing their sup- Gov. Roy Cooper has ex- casinos. Carolina where the Cataw-
may not be enough. A bill port. pressed concerns because Besides, the tribe contends, ba aided a decisive vic-
they’ve sponsored in Con- During a Senate commit- the senators’ bill appears to the Catawba have no le- tory against the British in a
gress has drawn fierce op- tee hearing on the bill in exempt the Catawba from gal or historical claims to key 1780 Revolutionary War
position from lawmakers May, John Tahsuda, of the having to negotiate with the land where they want battle. The Catawba River
in North Carolina, where Interior Department’s In- the state over details such to build. and Catawba County also
the Cherokee tribe — one dian Affairs division, said it as which games could be “The historical evidence is are in North Carolina.q