Casino defeat alters Penobscot plans

The Penobscot Nation has no plans to support possible economic or cultural development in the Katahdin region, although the tribe remains supportive of the idea.

Executive Director Bruce McLean of the Millinocket Area Growth and Investment Council talked with former Penobscot Gov. Tim Love last year about starting an authentic Penobscot cultural heritage attraction in the area, similar to King’s Landing in New Brunswick.

Penobscot Chief Barry Dana said Thursday that the tribe would have hoped to pursue such a project with gaming revenues, but with the defeat of the casino referendum in November, possible plans for such a project will have to wait until resources become available.

A cultural heritage-type of community could be beneficial in helping Maine understand its tribes as well as generating tourism, Dana said, but there are no concrete plans to do anything.

“Once we have capital, we can start branching out and do really nice things like that,” Dana said in a telephone interview. “I don’t ever want to take that idea off the table. Right now, we still have too much on our plate to handle it.”

Currently, Penobscot Nation officials have been focusing on providing health care for members of the tribe, Dana said.

The tribe has a significant interest in the Penobscot River and Mount Katahdin and is interested in working with Millinocket on some form of economic development, Dana said, adding that there also is potential for some type of lodge or resort in combination with the area’s hunting, fishing and guiding.

In an interview earlier this week, McLean said a potential cultural heritage community could bring in a large number of European tourists, but at this point, it’s “simply an idea.” Even with a possible economic impact, McLean said the main goal of such a community would need to be the preservation of the Penobscot culture.

“It would have to be done authentically,” McLean said. “It couldn’t be built with the idea that it’s going to be a tourist attraction.”