“They’ve got a gaming compact, the same as we do,” Cloutier said of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. “Our tribe has worked hand-in-hand with the Muskegon community for the past 12 years to gain approval from the federal government and state government,” Romanelli said.īut Frank Cloutier, a former chief of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, praised the governor for rejecting what he described as an off-reservation casino.
“This project would have created and supported 3,000 jobs for tribal members and families in the community along with providing funds for healthcare and housing,” said Romanelli, who is the tribe’s ogema or chief. When Whitmer announced her decision on June 15, Larry Romanelli of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians in northwest Michigan told reporters his tribe was “absolutely devastated.”
The outrage immediately following Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s rejection this month of a $180m casino proposal by a Michigan tribe seems to be fading, as other tribes in the state praise the governor’s decision.