Officials with the state of North Dakota recently informed the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians that the tribe may not move forward with plans for an off-reservation casino in Grand Forks. State officials said they would not make exceptions to state law, plus the governor and the U.S. Department of Interior also would have to approve the project. Grand Forks City Administrator Todd Feland said the city also has dropped the project for now.
Turtle Mountain Chairman Richard McCloud said a casino in Grand Forks would have provided revenue for the reservation, as well as boost tourism and entertainment options for the city. However, he took the Grand Forks news in stride because the tribe is working on other projects, including a casino on tribal-owned land in Trenton. “If the city of Grand Forks wishes to continue, we will have discussions on the casino in the future,” McCloud said.
The Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation is the smallest in North Dakota, located near the Canadian border.
