GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) did not make a decision on a West Michigan tribe’s status on Wednesday, as requested by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
In a letter written to Sec. Debra Haaland last week, Gov. Whitmer requested DOI to rule by June 1 on whether to acknowledge the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, so she could make a more informed decision on a request to build a casino in Muskegon County from the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
READ MORE: Gov. Whitmer urges Dept. of Interior to decide on Grand River Bands' federal status
“Government doesn’t move that fast,” said Ron Yob, tribal ogema for Grand River Bands. “Hopefully the government does what they’re supposed to do.”
In an interview with FOX17, Yob said he wasn’t surprised by the lack of action from DOI, but remained positive about the tribe’s status.
DOI is currently scheduled to issue a proposed finding on Grand River Bands’ federal recognition on or before Oct. 12.
Whitmer must decide whether to grant the casino project by June 16.
READ MORE: Future of Muskegon County casino project unclear one month from final deadline
In the letter, Whitmer said DOI’s deadline created a conflict with the upcoming deadline faced by her administration.
Both tribes claim rights to land in the area and she said it may cause frustrations for future developments if she acts under the current timeline.
“My concurrence with the Little River Band’s two-part determination could frustrate the Grand River Bands, which may wish to open their own gaming facility on tribal lands not far from Fruitport Township,” wrote Whitmer. “Yet DOI has not provided any information on how likely it is that the Grand River Bands will be acknowledged.”
Whitmer went on to call DOI’s deadline “four months too late to enable an informed decision about whether to concur with the Little River Band’s two-part determination.”
If DOI declined to issue a ruling by her deadline, she asked the agency to extend the June 16 deadline until after it has issued a preliminary decision on the Grand River Bands.
DOI is not required to comply with either request.
A Whitmer spokesperson said DOI has confirmed receipt of the letter. To their knowledge, DOI is, “reviewing options on their end.”
In an email to FOX17, a spokesperson for DOI said there was “no update… at this time.”
“The schedule she has for June 16 I think is solid, I think that can’t be moved again nor do I think they can shorten the length of time for whatever is happening with Grand River,” said Larry Romanelli, tribal omega for Little River Band.
Romanelli called Whitmer’s concerns misinformed.
He said he would be ok with another nearby casino if Grand River Bands chose to do so, but said it’s an intensive, years long process. He went on to urge Whitmer to act on his tribe’s project soon.
“We would lose out on a casino, without a second chance, and Grand River would probably be 10 years even if all things worked out right so the area of West Michigan would lose out on for at least a decade,” said Romanelli.
Yob opposes Little River Band’s casino project, but says he wants to focus on his tribe’s goals.
He said federal recognition status would ensure tuition, healthcare, housing assistance, and other resources to members.
“It’s important for us because our next generation we’re trying to pave a path for them so they don’t have to go through all of what we went through,” said Yob.
In a separate, but related development, Grand River released an affidavit from a longtime historian part of DOI’s federal acknowledgement team, which says they approved the tribe’s request for federal recognition in 2016.
It went onto say that it has sat in the department’s solicitor’s office.
Aldo Salerno, the employee, confirmed in a message with FOX17 that he wrote the letter, but decline further comment.
DOI has not verified the authenticity of Salerno’s claims.
Salerno, according to the affidavit, led the review of Grand River’s application. He says a two-thirds majority of the federal recognition staff, including the director, supported acknowledgment.
He called such a delay “unconscionable and intolerable.”
