At its recent Annual Council and at a Tribal Council work session, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians called for a referendum vote on alcohol sales outside the property of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina. Alcohol sales started there in 2009 following a referendum vote; for the first 12 years of its existence the casino was dry.
The issue concerns the Blue Ridge law, a state measure approved by Tribal Council, which allows alcohol sales in restaurants located within 1.5 miles of an entrance or exit ramp of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Three businesses located within that distance in Cherokee already have been issued permits under that provision. Painttown Rep. Lisa Taylor, who introduced the referendum legislation, said, “Many people in my community have approached me upset with those permits being issued. My intent for submitting this resolution was for the people to have a say and whether they approve or disapprove of having alcohol on the Boundary.”
Former Principal Chief Patrick Lambert would not allow the special permits because he said the 2009 referendum would not permit alcohol sales off of casino property. Current Principal Chief Richard Sneed, who took office following Lambert’s impeachment, said state law requires those permits be issued. So far he has allowed the permits to be issued to three restaurants.
Sneed noted, “It’s a very emotional issue for a lot of people. There’s been a lot of damage that people have sustained in their lives. At the end of the day, the referendum gives the vote to the people. I’m in full support of a referendum vote. I do want to reiterate the point I made before, if we repeal the so-called Blue Ridge portion of our ordinance, the state could repeal all sales on the Boundary.”
The Tribal Council will revisit the issue plus a separate resolution to allow Sunday morning alcohol sales at its meeting on December 7.
