Smaller tribes mum on casino

HOULTON – Maine’s two smallest American Indian tribes say they have not taken an official position on whether a $650 million casino should be built in southern Maine.

Tribal officials with the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Aroostook Band of Micmacs say they plan to have legal counsel review the language of a 20-page bill proposing the casino development. Officials say they hope to better understand the issue and discover how the wording would affect their own future gambling development activities.

On Nov. 4, voters will decide the fate of Question 3 of the referendum – whether to permit the Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation to operate a casino in the state.

“If there will be any [negative] legal impact as far as a casino for us in the future … then we couldn’t support it,” Chief Brenda Commander of the Houlton band said Monday. “If the opposite was true, then we would fully support their [the other tribes’] efforts.”

Commander said tribal officials would review the legal analysis with tribal members and “advise them of the issue.”

Chief Bill Phillips of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs said local tribal members are concerned the sovereignty issues in the casino referendum could affect them in years to come.

As part of the proposed legislation, the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes would build their casino on nontribal land and pay taxes to the state.

“If our tribe decides to go into that same type of market, we’re not sure if that language helps or hurts us later on,” Phillips said. “Our only fear is that if they [the Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation] agree to those terms, if we decide later on to develop gambling activities – and that’s a big if – then we would prefer not to have such language, such as agreeing not to have it on tribal lands and agreeing to pay taxes.”

The Aroostook Band of Micmacs plans to consider a bingo hall – Class 2 gambling – in the future, Phillips said, but it is waiting for a federal court ruling on whether the band has sovereign immunity or if the state has jurisdiction over the band.

The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians plans to consider Class 3 gambling, or gaming, at some point in the future, Commander said. The tribe has received several offers from casino developers, Commander said.

“We feel there’s already gambling in the state of Maine, and tribes are always wanting to expand their economic development,” Commander said. “If the doors are going to be open for racinos and other gambling activities, then we should also have the right to maintain a casino.”

The Houlton band is waiting for an opinion from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs on whether it would maintain concurrent jurisdiction with the state or receive full or no jurisdiction for any casino development.

The chiefs say such activities are under consideration as they look for ways to encourage economic development for their own tribal members. The Aroostook Band of Micmacs has 850 members; the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, 750.

Band members say they will not reap any benefits from the Sanford casino, no matter what voters decide.

“If the casino is built down south, it won’t benefit us at all. There will be zero profits to Micmacs or Maliseets,” Phillips said.

“It’s important for us to get economic development going for our people here,” Phillips said.