MCK to launch preliminary explorations into land-based gaming

04/21/2011

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke announced today that Chief & Council will be tabling for its consideration a Mohawk Council Request for Decision (RFD) at the Tuesday, 25 Onerahtókha/April Council Meeting that would start a preliminary process to explore the possibility of building and operating a community-owned land-based gaming project.

“Chief & Council have been meeting on an on-going basis to discuss the topic of revenue generation for the community,” said Grand Chief Michael Ahríhron Delisle, Jr. “Government funding of essential communal services such as education, community infrastructure, and all of the other programs is now falling far short of what is actually needed. The economic realities are staring us all in the face – while we continue to explore other possibilities, it is clear that no other project can produce the amount of revenue necessary to achieve Kahnawà:ke’s goals in the shortest time frame.”

If accepted on Tuesday, the process will utilize a set of Guiding Principles, which are: 1) The collective must be the prime beneficiary; 2) No lands slated for residential development will be considered for use; 3) Community members shall receive a dividend; 4) Social impacts of gaming will be addressed through immediate and effective measures; and 5) There will be independent community management to oversee and disperse gaming profits. In effect, a communal treasury would be developed to oversee and disperse monies.

Please note, once again, that the signing of the RFD on Tuesday is only to allow the preliminary research to take place and is not a decision to build a land-based gaming facility.

“The community is being made aware of every action that is being taken from the very beginning, including this very first official step,” concluded Chief Delisle.