The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan applied to the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2014 to take into trust land next to the downtown Lansing convention center. The tribe intends to build a casino there. However, tribal officials are concerned that no action will be taken on the application until after the new president takes office.
Tribal attorney John Wernet said waiting until then would result in “even more delay.” He added, “Of course, we do have concern about the potential impact of a change in administration. No matter how the election turns out, it would almost certainly mean even more delay in obtaining a decision while a new administration comes up to speed on it.”
Meanwhile, Interior Department spokeswoman Nedra Darling said, “The Sault Ste. Marie tribe application is still in the initial stages of review.”
Other tribes in Michigan oppose the Sault’s casino plans and are expected to challenge the project in court.
