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Tribes battle over Beloit casino

WISCONSIN – As reported by the Baraboo News Republic: "A turf battle is shaping up between the Ho-Chunk Nation and two other state Native American tribes over plans to build a casino in Beloit on land both sides claim as ancestral territory.

"Now it will likely be up to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to figure out which side has the correct historical information.

"Ho-Chunk Nation Spokesperson Katie Funmaker said Nation officials are not opposed to off-reservation gaming as long as the tribe has an ancestral connection to that land.

"Since 1999, officials from the Bad River Band and St. Croix Chippewa tribe have been talking with Beloit officials about building a casino there. The project has moved along slowly since, but recently an environmental impact statement was completed as part of the application process for an off-reservation gaming operation, stating the site is within the historic territory of the Chippewas.

"According to the National Historic Preservation Act, the role of the BIA's regional offices is to identify, assess and mitigate the protection of tribal historical properties. Ho-Chunk Nation officials announced Thursday they are asking the BIA's Midwest Regional Office to reconsider the statement because they were not properly consulted about the project. They also claim that neither the Chippewa nor the Bad River Band lived in that area, while the Ho-Chunk did.."

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