Each year one of Wisconsin’s 11 tribes chooses a leader to deliver the State of the Tribes address.
This year it was Robert Van Zile, chairman of the Sokaogan Chippewa Community, who March 14 delivered a message appealing for more state cooperation on health care, casino revenue and conserving the environment, reported WUWM Milwaukee.
He spoke to 130 members of the Wisconsin Legislature in the State Capitol of Madison. One key point he made was the need for diversification of tribal economic resources beyond just casinos.
He also spoke of the need for the state to demand a smaller share of tribal gaming revenues—enabling tribes to be able to invest more in non-gaming industries and asked the legislature to impose more regulation on slot machines at non-tribal casinos.
