Tribal Leader Roundtable

Bob Peters, ChairmanMatch-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi (Gun Lake Tribe)Gun Lake Casino – Wayland, MIgunlakecasino.com / gunlaketribe-nsn.gov BENEFITS OF GAMING: We now have a variety of services...

Cherokee Nation has remained steadfast in its efforts to prioritize the health and safety of its tribal citizens, team members and guests above all else. We’re working with our partners at the state and federal levels to help the communities within our reservation and build back the local economy.

This administration, want to set a precedent for all leadership that begins with our example. Are we doing our part every day to keep our citizens as the highest priority?

Our goals and objectives are in large part shaped by the tribe’s values and circumstances, as well as the vision for the future.

Our tribal government and community remain committed to long-term resilience and sustainability as we employ development strategies that reflect our customs and traditions while ensuring continued success for generations to come.

Initially, we closed down our casino for two and a half months, and after we reopened, we moved forward with tough restrictions. Prior to COVID-19, our legal occupancy was just under 800, and since we’ve reopened, we are only allowing 425 people in the casino at a time.

There have been many challenges in 2021, namely staffing and keeping our community safe; but, there have also been opportunities as it relates to CARES and ARPA funds. Tribal nations have never witnessed such a large investment into Indian Country and it is unlikely that we will ever see this again in our lifetime.

If we can move closer to separating our business from our government, we have made progress. I believe our people know what they want to see for us in terms of success.

Five tribal leaders share how gaming revenues have benefited their tribe and community, the initiatives and goals for their gaming enterprises, and legislative/political issues...

We’ve incurred financial losses in the millions of dollars; we’ve had to furlough and lay off hundreds of tribal government and business employees; we’ve had team members and customers who have lost loved ones; and we’ve been forced to conduct operations in a whole new way throughout our organization, etc.