Page 110 May 25, 2012
DAN’S PAPERS
danshamptons.com
The Shinnecocks and the Casino, Still Planning our people.� The tribe already has the right to build he Shinnecocks, one of the native Algonquin- a bingo-style hall, like the Pequots did first language peoples of Long Island, have before building Foxwoods, on its reservation in fished these waters and walked this land for Southampton. The tribe has chosen not to build over a thousand years, but they do not want to one on their reservation, in consideration of wait another thousand for their casino. how a popular attraction would only contribute The long-awaited casino isn’t just a marvelous further to the already jam-packed Hampton building with bright lights glimmering off golden roads. slot machines to the Shinnecocks, but a token The Shinnecocks finally became federally to buying a higher quality of life. recognized in June 2010, ending that 32-year “We want a more livable community for struggle. Having achieved their new federal us,� says Beverly Jensen, the Director of recognition, 1 the tribe can now legally build DansPapers_BlueSky_18.pdf 4/6/12 10:43 AMa Communications for the Shinnecock Tribe. “The casino, even if the state’s constitution bans casino is a way to build up our infrastructure– them, as the Shinnecocks are considered a create new jobs, explore new opportunities for sovereign nation. But where will this casino be? By robert sforza
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In the past two years, the tribe has considered at least half a dozen possible future sites for a casino, though none have come to fruition. For a while it looked like the Shinnecocks would make their casino’s home in Nassau. Edward Mangano, Nassau County Executive, considered building a casino next to the coliseum, but the cash-short county seemed to be out of the bidding, until the tribe considered Belmont. But New York State politics put the kibosh on the tribe’s vision for a casino in Belmont, where the governor barred the possibility for a casino by saying, “It doesn’t make sense,� as reported in Newsday. This has landed the group back again in Suffolk County. “We are close,� informs Jensen, referring to finding a home for their casino. “But we’re still figuring out where we want it, and when we could have it.� Yaphank, a hamlet that still holds onto some parcels of undeveloped land, may very well be the future site for the tribe’s casino. In recent years, the tribe has considered two different sites in this hamlet: the Brookhaven Airport or a large unsettled plot of land near the new rail depot. In February, the Shinnecock Indian Nation cleared an important obstacle in their decadeold quest to build casinos on Long Island by approving an accord with their new financial partner, Gateway Casino Resorts. Though the tribe has yet to select a definitive future site, it is likely that the site will be in Suffolk. Jensen commented, “We have not singled out a specific spot yet, however all of the ones that they [the Trustees] are thinking about are on Long Island.� “When you look at the possibility of something like Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun hiring upwards of 10,000 people, this is a jobs issue and a revenue issue for troubled times and for the long run for Suffolk County,� said Wayne R. Horsley, the county legislator who heads the county’s gambling task force. The casino is a game changer for any community it eventually comes to, especially for the Shinnecock tribe. “It’s about economic development, creating jobs, boosting the economy,� says Jensen. “We hope to generalize more opportunities for our people.� Most of the Shinnecocks’ plans are centered on education and housing, though there are many other ambitions that the casino can fulfill. The tribe desires to build a new school to better educate their children and better housing for their elders, who they hold dear to their community. “We have a lot of plans to improve the quality of life issues we have—We have potholes like you wouldn’t believe—It’d be nice not to drive through mud all the time,� said Jensen. Allowing the Shinnecocks to build a full-scale casino, which is legal now with their federal recognition, would help many of their tribal members out of poverty. There is a marked difference between tribes that do own casinos and those that do not. Poverty is quite common, too common, in American Indian societies. Casino gambling helped many American Indians raise their standard of living during the 1990s and early 2000s, though they (Continued on page 112.)