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Casino Plans Split Native Community

QUEBEC – As reported by the Montreal Gazette: "Every room of the Tickle Trunk, a small bungalow turned second-hand store, is chock-a-block with everything from a pair of snow shoes to a one-handed breast pump. Even the bathtub is full of plastic bags.

"Outside, there are two giant stuffed orangutans as well as signs that perhaps owner Sonny Joe Cross isn't as whimsical as he might appear.

"A 74-year-old reformed alcoholic, Cross has erected signs he hopes will save his community of Kahnawake from what he predicts will be a disaster:

"Let's Keep Our Town Clean and Honest. No Casino.

"No Blood Money.

"If You Don't Trust the Band Council, Vote No.

"Nearby, Kahnawake's Economic Development Commission has a more polished approach, but is trying just as hard with slick pamphlets and promotional videos to win over the hearts and minds of the 5,896 people eligible to vote in this Saturday's referendum.

"…The last time this happened here, in 1994, the no side won by fewer than 100 votes. It divided families and the community just as much then as it is now.

"In the almost 10 years since, Kahnawake has set up Internet gambling - Mohawk Internet Technologies - which council says pumps $250,000 a year into its coffers.

"A casino would simply be a way to fund the things that federal money no longer covers, argues Joe Delaronde, who has been appointed spokesperson for the casino project.

"…According to a feasibility study done by KPMG, the casino could rake in approximately $230 million a year, with $170 million of that coming from slot machines alone. On average, an estimated 8,500 people will visit it every day.

"…Those against the proposal give several reasons for their decision - everything from not having enough information, to worrying about addiction, to suspecting a lot of money will land in very few hands…"

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