Federal nod could mean stimulus revenues
(04/09/2009) The Bureau of Indian Affairs is well on its way to a preliminary decision about whether the Shinnecock Indian Nation will be federally recognized. A deadline has been scheduled for Nov. 10, according to Nedra Darling, a spokeswoman for the bureau.
The Shinnecocks had a place in line for a decision that could have taken a decade or more, but last year a federal judge ordered that they be fast-tracked for consideration, and the bureau agreed to do that.
Ms. Darling said it was too early to say when a final decision and report could be expected. “It varies with the people involved and different types of comment periods, the time it takes to get comments back,” she said. “The interested parties, the petitioner, and us can ask for additional comments. We can’t predict it.”
The process takes a great deal of time and “is pretty intensive,” she said. “It’s not just us reviewing. They have to meet seven mandatory criteria, and to meet them they need to provide evidence and documentation to back it up.” Ms. Darling said the bureau has three teams of three working on the applications under review, which is another reason why the process takes so long.
The prospect that the tribe might finally be recognized means different things to different parties, although it is an important step toward allowing the Shinnecocks to open a casino on Long Island.
“It’s one part of the equation,” according to Lance Gumbs, a former trustee, “but there are a lot of parts to the equation.”
Meanwhile, Suffolk County has proceeded with the first meeting of its Gaming Task Force, which will determine the feasibility of planning a casino in Suffolk County if the tribe is federally recognized, as required, and also gains state approval.
Mr. Gumbs said the first meeting, held on Friday, was mostly organizational: “the role of the task force, what we’re going to do, what we will focus on.” He said potential sites for a casino were not discussed and that he would not comment on the subject.
Back in December, County Legislator Jay Schneiderman speculated that a few spots in Suffolk County might be appropriate for such a large operation. He named a place in Yaphank near the Long Island Expressway, the old Grumman Aerospace Corporation site in Calverton, and the former Parr Meadows racetrack site near William Floyd Parkway and the Long Island Expressway.
County officials began to consider a potential casino last year after it became apparent that the Shinnecocks’ federal application was moving forward more quickly than had been anticipated. Legislator Wayne Horsley of Babylon and William Lindsay, the presiding officer of the County Legislature, were among those won over by economic studies, presented by the Shinnecocks, that showed a casino could contribute 10,200 new jobs and $445 million in new salaries as well as $2.5 billion in revenue for local and state governments.
Connecticut casinos are collecting $234 million from the out-of-state gamblers who use them. “I grew up with guys who now run Foxwoods, and their running joke is how much money they make from New York,” Mr. Gumbs said.
With so much money at stake, he said, “a big and real issue will be competition” if and when the Shinnecocks can finally pursue their own casino.
The abuses of power under Jack Abramoff, the Washington lobbyist and convict who helped tribes that already were running casinos to prevent other tribes from starting up their own, have been quelled. Even so, other casino-owning tribes and even Atlantic City interests could try to block a Long Island casino.
Mr. Gumbs declined to speculate what form those counter-efforts might take. “You never know how it’s going to come,” he said, “but I think it will be part of the process.”
According to Mr. Gumbs, while the jobs and income from a casino could ensure the tribe’s survival, federal recognition is also “the key to anything we want to do economically.”
“Right now, we’re focused on the federal stimulus packages,” he said. “Other tribes who are recognized are getting millions of dollars of stimulus money.”
Add other funding and programs for federally recognized Indian tribes, and the benefits would be great even without a casino. “There’s a lot more to it than just gaming,” Mr. Gumbs said.
Even with the fast-track, years of documentation, and a new administration in Washington, Mr. Gumbs said, he was guarded about the tribe’s chances for federal recognition. However, he said, he is “much more optimistic” than he has been in years.
President Obama is expected to name Larry EchoHawk, a member of the Pawnee Tribe, the assistant secretary of Indian affairs. He has already named Jodi Gillette as associate director of intergovernmental affairs to oversee Indian and tribal affairs. Ms. Gillette is a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
“I feel much more positive about our situation now than with the Bush administration,” Mr. Gumbs said. He has already met with Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Ms. Gillette in Washington.
With more Native Americans taking positions in federal offices that have jurisdiction over their affairs, “we’ll have a more understanding ear for a tribe waiting to be recognized for 31 years,” Mr. Gumbs said. He added, however, that “I’m not saying any more is going to happen.”