In North Carolina, the tribal council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians rejected a move to hear attorney Robert Saunooke’s formal protest against Resolution Number 363 (2020), approving the tribe’s proposed purchase Caesars Southern Indiana Casino for $250 million.
Tribal Council Attorney Carolyn West informed Saunooke his protest did not meet the requirements to be heard and therefore was not added to the council’s January 14 meeting agenda. The tribal attorney general’s office also reviewed Saunooke’s protest and reached the same decision.
Still, at the meeting, council members discussed whether or not to hear the protest, although that eventually was voted down 56-44. Vice Chief Alan B. Ensley supported hearing Saunooke’s protest. He said, “I think when an enrolled member wants to come to the podium, and in this case here it was drafted up through a hearing, to me any enrolled member is an ‘interested party.’ And they’re going to have financial gain or loss in any decision this council makes. Whether it changes anybody’s mind, you’ve got to listen to the people of this tribe.”
Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed, who originated the resolution to purchase the Indiana casino, stated, “This decision was thoroughly vetted and every decision we make is in the best interest of the tribe. If anyone wants to sit down and go over the numbers, we’re happy to do that. The assertions made in Mr. Saunooke’s resolution, they’re all patently false.”
Council Rep. Wahnetah offered Saunooke some of this time to address council members. Saunooke said his main concern was how the deal was constructed. He said, “What’s clear is that in October of last year you passed a resolution that adopted some blank form as an operating agreement for this cooperation. And what else is clear is that in December, at the last minute, the last hour, Interim Attorney General McConnell and Chief Sneed brought in a totally different operating agreement that changed the management, changed the appointment and put people together into this board that will run this company. And that operating agreement said unequivocally that this tribe, the member of the company, will have no voice, no vote, no say on this company that’s been created.”
Former Principal Chief Michell Hicks also spoke, stating he supported the deal but still had concerns. He said he believed the return on investment was extremely low and the numbers did not seem to match what was initially offered.
He noted, “I’m not here fighting diversity. I’m not here fighting the chief or the council. But, I’ve got a ton of questions that people have asked me and I’m just trying to clarify. I want this deal to go. I want the tribe to diversify. But, the numbers have got to make sense, and that’s where I’m having a little difficulty.”
Hicks also said people have not had enough time to become educated on the purchase issue. “Covid’s kind of been in the way, guys. I didn’t know this decision was this far along. Hey, maybe I could’ve done a better job of keeping up, but you know what? I had a lot of questions coming to me and rightfully so. You can see why there’s questions.”
